Projects per year
Organization profile
Organisation profile
The Research Unit of Physical Geography develops activities along two main fields:
1. Ice and Climate (contact P. Huybrechts)
2. Volcanology, geomorphology, and natural hazards (contact M. Kervyn)
Ice and Climate
The Ice and Climate research group focuses on the dynamics of glaciers and ice sheets and their interaction with the climatic system. Emphasis is laid on the development and application of three-dimensional thermomechanical ice flow models of the continental cryosphere (Greenland, Antarctica, Quaternary ice sheets of the northern hemisphere), complemented with field-based activities on alpine glaciers.
Current projects aim at a better understanding of the response of the large polar ice sheets to a warming climate, the dynamics of mountain glaciers and small ice caps, and the evolution of global sea level on centennial to millennial time scales. Key periods during the past such as the Last Interglacial are studied with Earth System Models focusing on ice sheet-ocean and ice sheet-atmosphere interactions. Nested flow models applied to ice-core locations on both the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheet are used to assist with the dating and interpretation of ice-core records.
New research efforts being developed include the assimilation of satellite-based remote sensing data to better initialise ice sheet models and the interactive coupling of ice sheet models with regional climate and ocean models at high resolution.
Volcanology, geomorphology and natural hazards
The Volcanology, Geomorphology and Natural hazards research group focuses on the study of hazardous geomorphological and volcanological processes in developing countries, with a specific attention to volcano geomorphology, volcano-tectonic processes and landslides. Current projects are dedicated to the study of hazardous morpho-structural processes in active volcanic regions, including the modelling of volcano growth through eruptive and intrusive processes, lava flow emplacement, flank collapse, interactions with tectonic structures and erosion processes. The applications concentrate in volcanic regions of Africa including North Tanzania, the Virunga Volcanic Province in D.R. Congo, Mt Cameroon, and Mt Karthala in the Comores.
A new research effort is currently being developed to study slope instabilities in developing countries, modelling the spatial distribution of hazards, and studying the impact and remediation strategies for local populations. A growing attention is also paid to the perception and adaptation of population to geohazards.
Research approaches involve combining remote sensing and field observations with scaled quantitative analogue models and application of existing numerical models.
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Network
Profiles
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MORPHEUS: Variability of explosive volcanic eruptions: interdependence of source morphology and eruptive style
Tournigand, P. & Kervyn De Meerendre, M.
1/11/20 → 31/10/23
Project: Fundamental
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FEDTWIN1: GeohazarDs in AfricaN CitiEs: patterns, rates and sustainability in urban-sprawling contexts
Kervyn De Meerendre, M. & Smets, B.
1/10/20 → 30/09/25
Project: Fundamental
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EUAR32: H2020: RIA: PROTECT: PROjecTing sEa-level rise : from iCe sheets to local implicaTions
1/09/20 → 31/08/24
Project: Fundamental
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VLIR385: Building capacity for disaster Management for the Mountainous region of Da Bac district, Hoa Binh Province, Vietnam
1/01/20 → 31/08/22
Project: Fundamental
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FWOAL952: Modelling temporal evolution of volcano landscape through erosion (EVoLvE)
1/01/20 → 31/12/23
Project: Fundamental
Research output
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Contrasts in volcanic risk perception among Goma population before the Nyiragongo eruption of May 2021 (East DR Congo)
Nyandwi, B. M., Michellier, C., Habiyaremye, F. M., Kervyn, F. & Kervyn, M., 26 Mar 2022Research output: Other contribution
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Experimental design and data relevance in a volcanic ash-leachate health study: Letter to the Editor re. Barone et al. (2021) ‘Surface reactivity of Etna volcanic ash and evaluation of health risks’
Stewart, C., Damby, D., Tomasek, I. & Horwell, C. J., 15 Jan 2022, In : Science of the Total Environment. 804, 150076.Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter
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Identification of low fluoride areas using conceptual groundwater flow model and hydrogeochemical system analysis in the aquifer system on the flanks of an active volcano: Mount Meru, Northern Tanzania
Bennett, G., Van Reybrouck, J., Shemsanga, C., Kisaka, M., Tomašek, I., Fontijn, K., Kervyn, M. & Walraevens, K., 25 Mar 2022, In : Science of the Total Environment. 814, 17 p., 152682.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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Modelling evidence for late Eocene Antarctic glaciations
Van Breedam, J., Huybrechts, P. & Crucifix, M., 15 May 2022, In : Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 586, 117532.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Open Access -
Naturally occurring potentially toxic elements in groundwater from the volcanic landscape around Mount Meru, Arusha, Tanzania and their potential health hazard
Tomašek, I., Mouri, H., Dille, A., Bennett, G., Bhattacharya, P., Brion, N., Elskens, M., Fontijn, K., Gao, Y., Gevera, P. K., Ijumulana, J., Kisaka, M., Leermakers, M., Shemsanga, C., Walraevens, K., Wragg, J. & Kervyn, M., 10 Feb 2022, In : Science of the Total Environment. 807, Part 1, 150487.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Open AccessFile4 Citations (Scopus)36 Downloads (Pure)
Activities
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Learning from the risk perception before a volcanic crisis to improve prevention through effective awareness: the case of the city of Goma, DR Congo
Blaise Mafuko Nyandwi (Speaker), Matthieu Kervyn De Meerendre (Contributor), François Muhashy Habiyaremye (Contributor), Francois Kervyn (Contributor), Caroline Michellier (Contributor)28 Oct 2021Activity: Talk or presentation › Talk or presentation at a workshop/seminar
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Volcanic risk communication challenges in the Global South: the case of Goma, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Blaise Mafuko Nyandwi (Speaker), Caroline Michellier (Contributor), Matthieu Kervyn De Meerendre (Contributor), François Muhashy Habiyaremye (Contributor), Francois Kervyn (Contributor)19 Apr 2021 → 30 Apr 2021Activity: Talk or presentation › Talk or presentation at a conference
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Learning from the risk perception before a volcanic crisis to improve prevention through effective awareness: the case of the city of Goma, DR Congo
Blaise Mafuko Nyandwi (Speaker), Caroline Michellier (Speaker), François Muhashy Habiyaremye (Speaker), François Kervyn (Speaker), Matthieu Kervyn De Meerendre (Speaker)28 Oct 2021 → 29 Oct 2021Activity: Talk or presentation › Talk or presentation at a conference
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Minerals (Journal)
Ines Tomasek (Peer reviewer)2021Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Publication peer-review
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EGU GMPV ECS online talks - Volcanology special edition
Ines Tomasek (Speaker)20 Jan 2021Activity: Talk or presentation › Talk or presentation at a workshop/seminar