School of Geographical Sciences

May 2013

Issue 1

Upcoming Events

School Assembly: 2pm Wednesday 15th May 2013

Undergraduate Summer exam period: Monday 13th May to Friday 14th June 2013

Undergraduate Graduation: 11am Friday 12th July 2013

Welcome and Introduction

The School consistently aims to be one of the major international centres for integrated research and teaching in environmental processes, environmental systems and human sciences. Our mission is to combine the highest possible quality of research, addressing real-world problems, with teaching excel-lence which is as student-friendly as it is stimulating. Our research can be characterised in terms of the global significance of the questions we address in the physical sciences, social sciences, and at the in-terface between them. Our teaching programmes reflect our research expertise, providing leading edge, innovative and novel courses taught by leaders in their respective fields.

We have a large and vibrant graduate community, focusing on PhD programmes, the internationally re-nowned MSc in Society and Space, and new Masters programmes in Environmental Policy and Man-agement and Climate Science and Policy. A high proportion of our postgraduates go on into academic posts, adding to the international diaspora of intellectual and scientific excellence for which the School is famous. The graduate community has a strong international and interdisciplinary flavour, and offers an exciting academic environment for postgraduate research.

Facilities update:

Geography Library

Message from Catherine Downs, Geographical Sciences Library

A refurbishment proposal for the Geographical Sciences Library is due to be reviewed by the Head of Information Management and Library De-velopment and will be developed this summer to present to the University's Capital Investment Pro-gramme Board in October. While the outcome isn't guaranteed, we under-stand there is currently support from the University Senior Team for these developments. The library is keen to hear students' views and ideas for the library if the refurbishment plans are approved. If you would like to be involved in the consultation process please contact Catherine Downs on the below email address:

Catherine.Downs@bristol.ac.uk

bristol.ac.uk/study

School of Geographical Sciences

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Staff profiles

Dr Sara Liguori

My research deals with the challenges involved in the implementation of hydro-meteorological forecast systems. These integrate predictions of meteorological variables into hydrological and hydrodynamic models for the purpose of improving the time-response efficiency of an operational system by extending the temporal window in which warnings can be issued. For instance, operational flood forecasting sys-tems can improve the ability to mitigate the effects of flooding by integrating a rainfall forecasting model with a rainfall-runoff and a flood inundation model, thus using the predictive information on rainfall in order to extend the time available to issue flood warnings. The implementation of chains of models is associated with data and model uncertainty and my research addresses the development and application of methods able to exploit the value of the forecast uncer-tainty by means of probabilistic forecasting. Current research is looking at developing methods of char-acterizing and modelling the uncertainty in radar-based rainfall forecasts and assessing the potential for the hydrological use of probabilistic radar-based rainfall forecasts in real-time applications.

Dr Ann Laudati

Dr. Ann Laudati is a broadly trained human-environmental geographer with specializations in natural resource violence, political ecology, conservation and development, and sub-Saharan Africa. She re-ceived her undergraduate degree in Anthropology and African Studies at Ohio University (which in-cluded a semester long study abroad in Kenya through the School for International Training) and con-tinued on at Athens to complete a Masters degree in Geography looking at transboundary wildlife management in Botswana and Zimbabwe. After her Master’s she and her husband moved to the East Transkei region of South Africa where she worked as a visiting scientist in the Zoology Department at the University of Transkei (UNITRA). In 2007 she finished her PhD in Geography at the University of Oregon based on a year of ethnographic fieldwork examining the effects of integrated conservation and development projects on communities living adjacent to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, in southwest Uganda. Following the granting of her doctoral degree, Ann worked as a fellow at Harvard University’s Sustain-ability Science Program. Here she shifted her research focus to South Sudan and was awarded the opportunity to spend three months in the area where she explored the extent to which and the pro-cess through which rural people struggle to reclaim access to and control over natural resources exist-ing prior to conflict. In 2008 she took a position at Utah State University where she taught Develop-ment Studies, Political Ecology, and African Geography courses while continuing to build a program of research on the linkages between natural resources and violent conflict, investigating how the envi-ronment has been implicated in the continuing conflicts in Sub-Saharan Africa more broadly. A recent arrival to the School of Geographical Sciences in January of 2013, she variously teaches classes on Qualitative Research Methods, People and Protected Areas, Violent Geographies, and Political Ecolo-gy and concentrates her research efforts towards understanding war economies and the ecologies of war in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where she has undertaken fieldwork periodically since 2009. Ann looks forward to becoming an integral part of the academic community here at the School as a colleague, a mentor, and as an educator, and to expanding and exploring collaborative links with both students and faculty across the wider University of Bristol campus.

School of Geographical Sciences

bristol.ac.uk/study

Dr Andy Ridgwell & Dr Elena Couce

Assessing the future of coral reefs in a

warming World

Amongst the ecosystems most sensitive to

global warming, shallow-water tropical corals

could face a large habitat collapse within the

next 50 years if greenhouse emissions continue

unabated. In a study recently published by the

journal of Geophysical Research Letters, re-

searchers from the School of Geography and

the Department of Earth Sciences used com-

puter models to study how coral habitats may

respond to climate change over the coming

years. "There seems to be a critical threshold

for coral reefs for a greenhouse warming of 3

watts per square metre, equivalent to an addi-

tional 50-100 ppm of CO2 in the atmosphere",

said Dr Elena Couce (whose PhD research was

funded by a Bristol University Scholarship),

"beyond this our models project large-scale re-

ductions in coral reef habitat, particularly signifi-

cant in the central Indo-Pacific".

The researchers teamed up with another recent

Bristol PhD graduate – Dr. Pete Irvine, to as-

sess whether solar radiation geoengineering –

artificially limiting the amount of sun light reach-

ing the Earth – could limit future surface ocean

temperature rises sufficiently to safeguard tropi-

cal coral reefs. One of the primary concerns of

solar radiation geoengineering in this context

has been that the chemical impacts on the

oceans of elevated CO2 concentrations in the

atmosphere, known as ‘ocean acidification’,

would continue unabated and could have a se-

rious impact on the ability of corals to produce

their calcium carbonate skeletons in the future.

“The unexpected result that Elena found in her

coral habitat models is that ocean acidification

appears to be less of a threat compared to

ocean temperature rises than previously be-

lieved.”

Dr Merle Patchett

A Cultural-Historical Geographer by training (MA,

MRes, PhD), my research broadly focuses on relations

between people and the material world and the ways

in which these relations are imagined and practiced in

the conduct of science, art and architecture and every-

day life.

Research Interests include:

More-than-human geographies: particularly relations

between human and non-human animals.

Museum Geographies or the geographies of collec-

tions: objects, spaces, practices.

Architectural Practices and aesthetics: built space, de-

sign and lived experience.

Art Geography collaborations: sites of production and

display.

“If only we could just simply reduce the CO2 emis-

sions to the atmosphere, we would of course sim-

ultaneously limit both temperature and ocean

acidification impacts on marine ecosystems.”

For a short primer on ocean acidification, see: http://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/ocean-acidification-25822734

School of Geographical Sciences

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Undergraduate Perspective

The class of 2013 are coming to the end of their university journey, a journey that began nearly three years ago in the Somerset countryside. My time studying geography at Bristol has been filled me with fond memo-ries. I want to recall five memories that contributed to my time in the Geography department.

2nd year Mallorca Field Trip I was recently asked in a job interview where I went and what I studied on my field trip. I stuttered as flashbacks of the infamous Magaluf strip darted through my head. I finally muttered “hydrology…Spain”. I don’t think any of the 48 environmental geographers will ever forget what happened that week. Thank you Dave Richards, David Manley and Malcolm Fairbrother for putting up with us. We are truly sorry for being “the worst field trip group in 30 years” (Richards, 2012).

Paul Valdes Whether it was him mentioning that he had to leave a lecture 5 minutes early to catch a flight to Japan to meet with the Japanese Prime Minister or his outrageous Geography ball speeches, no one will ever forget Geography’s main man.

1st Year Exeter Field Trip Trudging through rivers and walking up rough terrain may be Jim Freer and Ra-chel Flecker’s highlight of Bristol Geography but the first year field trip was infamous for what happened on the last night. Details and names will have to be spared but a strawpedo competition between two tutors kicked off a memorable night.

Veronica Della Dora The department is full of intellectual, stimulating and fun lecturers but Veronica was probably most people’s favourite. Although most of the year was quite skeptical on undertaking a module on the history of maps (Images of the Earth), her kindness and Italian accent made her a class favourite.

The class of 2013 The 2013 year group have all been very close throughout the three years, partly instigat-ed by the Nettlecombe field trip. There are too many memories of my time with this year to highlight and most are unsuitable for a newsletter. I would just like to thank everyone for making it so great.

Although this may have sounded like an obituary for the class of 2013’s three years at Bristol, I know the connection between the students and the geography department will carry on long into the future. Good luck to everyone!

Julian Issa

2011-12 Geogsoc

President

2012-13 SSCC

Chairman

School of Geographical Sciences

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Postgraduate profiles

From fieldwork in Greenland to a conference in India, many of our postgraduates manage to escape from the of-

fice and have the opportunity to travel to far-flung places. Obviously, these trips are not for leisure; it is a chance

to expand your network of contacts at conferences, collect data for your PhD or gain a new perspective on your

research. To give you an insight into the travelling exploits of PhD students, three postgraduates share their ex-

periences on recent trips they have been on.

Calum Baugh

As part of a Royal Society Exchanges Scheme I spent a month

(7th March – 8

th April) in Brazil visiting two research groups who

conduct similar research to my PhD. The first two weeks were

spent at the Federal University of Paraiba state in João Pessoa,

where I worked with Prof. Adriano da Paz to develop computer

models of the flood dynamics of the Pantanal wetlands. The flood

dynamics of this area sustain one of the most ecologically diverse

habitats in the world, yet their modification by human development

poses a significant threat which is currently poorly understood. For

the final two weeks I was based at the Institute of Hydraulic Re-

search based in Porto Alegre in the south of Brazil, where Prof.

Walter Collischonn and his group have developed

world leading research into the hydrological func-

tioning of the Amazon basin. Overall my visit was

a great opportunity to share knowledge with other

research groups as well as sample Brazilian cul-

ture which, amongst other things, included

a churrasco (barbeque) on my final day

T Davies-Barnard

The AGU San Francisco fall meeting is one of the biggest Geography conferences: around 12 thousand scien-

tists, an air-hanger sized room full of 1500 posters every day, a book (literally) of sessions, a daily newspaper of

talks every day. Finding what you want to go to, and getting there, can be a serious logistical operation. When

that gets too much though, there's awesome San Francisco food, shopping and sightseeing to do, all in balmy

north California December weather. The best bits are the people though. The people behind the names you've

read in journal article author lists - well known scientists in all their eclectic glory (cowboy hats, dreads, suits....).

Talking to that person whose work you really admire. The sea of poster tubes on the flight that shows that most of

the people around you are going to AGU and you're not a lone researcher in an office.

Nav Sagoo

I was recently awarded funding to attend a climate conference

in Goa, India. There were two parts to the meeting: the first

three days were aimed at early career scientists, so there

were only 70 people attending this. There were special ses-

sions and lectures on relevant topics (i.e. communicating cli-

mate change) as well as the normal conference talks and

poster sessions. There were also numerous social events in-

cluding dinner on a boat, casino and a garden party. Around

500 people attended the second part of the meeting which

consisted of talks, posters and a beach football match! Whilst

the second part of the meeting was more typical of a confer-

ence the first part of the meeting was useful for giving and

receiving constructive feedback and meeting other scientists

in an informal setting, which for me has led to new academic

contacts. After the meeting I had the opportunity to see some

of Goa and so went to an organic spice plantation.

School of Geographical Sciences

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MSc Student experience

Dominik Hülse During my current MSc studies “Climate Change Science and Policy” at the School of Geographical Sci-ences, I gained a very good understanding of interactions and feedbacks of our Earth and Climate Sys-tem. This is especially worth mentioning as I come from a different background and I am happy that the University of Bristol gave me the opportunity to enhance my knowledge in this interesting and very im-portant area. In particular, I am attracted by climate relationships of biogeochemical processes in the ocean (e.g. the marine carbon cycling). In my Master thesis I use a numerical climate model, developed (amongst others) at the University of Bristol, in order to improve our understanding of these complex and interrelated mechanisms. This is specifically important as the ocean is a major sink for anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, but the carbon cycling in the ocean is still poorly understood. The School of Geograph-ical Sciences with its world class experts offers an interdisciplinary and inspiring, but still very friendly atmosphere. I am especially impressed by the personal relationships between students and lecturers plus the close link between lectures and state-of-the art research. Overall, my MSc studies have really inspired me to seek a PhD in climate change science and I would be happy to undertake them at the School of Geographical Sciences in Bristol.

Staff Profile

Kelly Williams

I am the Postgraduate Student Administrator in Geographical Sciences and can be found sat at my desk in the School Of-fice three days a week eating chocolate, drinking coffee an solving the mysteries of Postgraduate Administration. I spend the rest of my time studying towards a Diploma in Counselling at UWE and working as a volunteer bereave-ment counsellor for Cruse Bereavement Care. In this role I meet with bereaved clients on a weekly basis and provide one-to-one counselling. I am passionate about counselling and the possibilities it can offer individuals. I believe that a trusting, supportive and collaborative relationship is integral to the counselling process, and enables the client to explore and reflect on issues, find new meanings and access inner resources. Once my Diploma is completed I hope to gain ac-creditation and work in a University Counselling service spreading my wisdom amongst students and staff ;)

School of Geographical Sciences

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Geogsoc update

Geogsoc has, so far, enjoyed an incredibly suc-cessful year: over the course of the first two terms, we’ve held several events and we’re hoping to end the year with an equally successful final term – why let a silly thing like exams get in the way?! The first term saw the first two in our series of one-off talks, with Martin Siegert’s presentation on his Antarctic expedition attracting well over 100 at-tendees, the launch of this year’s parenting scheme, several well-attended socials, and the inaugural geography Christmas dinner bringing 2012 to a close.

The New Year saw the dawn of another year of geography fun, with more socials, one-off talks and the sale of geography hoodies and t-shirts completing the second term. Worthy of its own special mention, however, was the Globe Ball, the highlight of the geography calendar. This year it saw 210 students and staff enjoying a three-course dinner, excessive wine, a pick-n-mix stand and music from a live DJ. Judging from how quiet the department was the following morning, and the photos uploaded to Face-book afterwards, it was clear that both staff and students had had a great time, showing the excellent community spirit alive and well within Geography at Bristol.

Though the final term is shorter and quieter than the rest of the year in general, we’ve still got lots of

plans to ensure that the 2012/13 academic year ends on a fun and successful note for the society, in-

cluding a summer party once exams are over. This is also the time of year when we hold our commit-

tee elections; any undergraduate student can run for any of the committee positions, and it would be

great to see a wide range of diverse candidates put themselves forward to help Geogsoc 2013/14 be a

success. All you need is willingness to work hard and a big love of geography and Bristol geographers!

If you are thinking of standing for a position but want to speak to the existing committee member for

advice, don’t hesitate to contact any one of us on the committee to get an idea of what you’re letting

yourself in for.

All of us in the committee have tried to make sure that everybody in the department has been enjoying

all of the activities Geogsoc has put on. If you’ve got any feedback, suggestions or ideas, don’t hesitate

to get in touch; or if you’re not yet at Bristol but want to find out more, just get in touch with Geogsoc

via the School Office email address geog-office@bristol.ac.uk. We hope that you’ll all enjoy the final

term: don’t let exams bog you down too much and just think of the awesome feeling of liberation (and

Lounge) that awaits you once they’re finished. Big geography love as always. Geogsoc x