natural hazards

GeoTalk: meet Robert Piotrowski, geomythologist and folklorist

Simon Clark December 12, 2025

Robert Piotrowski

Hello Robert! Thank you for joining GeoTalk. Before we turn the page, could you introduce yourself to our readers? I am an ethnologist and cultural anthropologist. I have the privilege of working in ‘Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Research into the Anthropocene’, led by Prof. Dariusz Brykała, which is part of the Institute of Geography and Spatial Organisation of the Polish Academy of Sciences. ...[Read More]

Open flood modelling: Real time inundation and human displacement forecasting is now possible!

Asmae Ourkiya September 27, 2024

Flash flood in Oman. Heavy rains cut roads crossing wadis. Photo taken by Anita di Chiara

Floods are powerful natural events that can wreak havoc on communities and ecosystems. Every year, millions of people are affected by floods, leading to loss of life, damage to homes, and disruption of daily life. This blog post explores a new method for quickly mapping flood zones and predicting their impacts. To help communities and decision-makers better prepare, the authors of a recent publica ...[Read More]

GeoTalk: meet Maria Vittoria, risk communicator & Early Career Scientist Representative for Natural Hazards

Simon Clark August 2, 2024

Mavi Vittoria

Hello Mavi! Welcome to GeoTalk. Before we start, could tell our readers a little about yourself and your background? Hey Simon! Thanks for the warm welcome. I’m Maria Vittoria, but you can call me Mavi. I’m a curious soul from southern Italy, a physicist by passion, and a dreamer at heart. My journey has taken me from Italy to the UK and back, studying the tiniest particles to the vast ...[Read More]

Turning adversity into opportunity: mapping plastic pollution in rivers

Jakub Stepanovic April 17, 2024

In July 2021, the Benelux area, Germany, and France experienced heavy rainfall followed by mass flooding, causing widespread damage. Along the vast quantities of plastic swept along the riverbanks, Rahel Hauk, a researcher from Wageningen University, conducted fieldwork to assess the impact of the flood event on plastic deposition. Amidst the debris, Hauk and her colleagues noticed a large volume ...[Read More]