Elected: 2020
Discipline: Earth Sciences and Chemistry
Professor Simon Mudd
Professor of Earth Surface Processes, University of Edinburgh
Professor Mudd is a geomorphologist: a scientist who tries to understand why the landscape looks the way it does and how it changes. Landscapes are formed by interactions between climate, the size and frequency of earthquakes, changes in sea level, vegetation, and the formation, erosion, and deposition of soil. Professor Mudd’s research has included using topographic data to detect places where faults are particularly active, determining the return frequency and mechanics of landslides and how salt marshes buffer our coastlines against the worst effects of sea level rise.