I am a numerate geoscientist, primarily interested in physics-based and data-driven approaches that tackle new and unusual problems across environmental science. Recently I explored how certain aspects of social science (e.g. ethnography and community mobilisation) can be combined with technological innovations to enhance sustainable resilience to natural hazards in countries such as Nepal, Tanzania, and the Philippines. I have extensive research experience combining my primary discipline of Earth Science with other fields, notably epidemiology and health studies (e.g. Eskdale et al., 2022), geotechnics and sub-surface engineering (Rowe and Paul, 2021), and disaster risk reduction (Paul et al., 2021). I work within and between three primary areas:

(1) Hydrogeological monitoring and analytical/numerical modelling; sustainable (ground)water resource management;

(2) Landscape development and (ground engineering) geohazards, in particular landslides and flooding;

(3) Community-led risk reduction/resilience building activities (including "citizen science"), especially across the Global South.

Last updated: 15 August 2024

Research Interests, Projects, Collaborators

• Monitoring and characterisation of river / groundwater quality and volume
• The origins and distribution of green rust, a family of Fe(II,III) oxyhydroxides that cause confined-space hypoxia, a major geohazard in sub-surface engineering (focused on London; with Richard Ghail - RHUL, James Lawrence and Philippa Mason - Imperial College London)
• Groundwater flooding in urban areas (focused on Staines, Oxford, and London)
• Integration of non-scientists in scientific research ("citizen science") - especially uncertainty and error in generated datasets (with Jessica Eisma - Uni. Texas at Arlington; and Rajaram Prajapati - Uni. Pittsburgh
• Sustainable cooling of subsurface structures (including the London Underground) using pumped groundwater/river water and heat exchangers
• The use of porous rock (especially limestones) as a natural filter to generate new sources of freshwater for water-stressed areas (focused on east Africa; with Martin Blunt - Imperial College London  and WWF-Tanzania
• Monitoring and characterisation of (slow-moving) landslides using seismic reflection and GPR (with Nicola Scarselli - RHUL)
• The links between hydrogeology, archaeology, Quaternary geomorphology, and mythology of the chalk and limestone landscapes of southern England (with Dell Olsen and Briony Hughes - RHUL English, and Stella Moss - RHUL History)
• The interface between disease risk and antimicrobial resistance, and climate change (with Jenni Cole - RHUL Health Studies)

Impact

I regularly present my work at the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, the largest conference in science. I consult for two UN agencies (Unicef and Unctad), am regularly interviewed by national UK media (e.g. BBC Radio 4 - on the effects aqueous cyanide spillages), and feature as an expert for environmental pieces in The Guardian, The Times, and the Daily Mail.

CV summary

2023 - : Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Geoscience, Dept. Earth Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL)

2020 - 2023 : Lecturer, RHUL

2017 - 2020 : Research Associate, Dept. Civil & Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London

2014 - 2016 : PDRA, Dept. Earth Sciences, Cambridge then UCL

2010 - 2014 : PhD (dissertation entitled "Dynamic Topography and Drainage of Africa and Madagascar"), Dept. Earth Sciences (Bullard Labs), University of Cambridge

2006 - 2010 : MSci (= BSc + MSc) Geophysics (1st Class Hons), Dept. Earth Science & Engineering, Imperial College London

Teaching and Administrative Roles

Undergraduate Admissions Tutor, Dept. Earth Sciences

Course lead, MSc Engineering Geology & Hydrogeology (2022-4)

Deputy course lead, MSc Energy Geosciences

Course coordinator: Applied Geophysics (2nd-yr UG); Geodynamics (MSc + Distance Learning); Hydrogeology (3rd-yr UG)

Lecturer: Water quality + hydrogeology (MSc); Plate kinematics (4th-yr UG); Arduino programming (4th-yr UG)

Departmental research seminar coordinator

Links

• JP Google Scholar - for exhaustive list of publications
• JP Twitter - for new paper/presentation/teaching/fieldwork/grant updates

Publications

Please email me if you cannot access any of the papers. An exhaustive list is available from my CV or Google Scholar profile.

[36] Paul J.D., B. Beare, Z. Brooks, L. Derguti, and R. Sood, 2024. An investigation into the physical factors that control mass movements. Landslides, doi:10.1007/s10346-024-02280-2

[35] Paul J.D., 2024. Observations, predictions, and implications of dynamic topography through space and time. In: Chiarella D., N. Scarselli, and J. Adam (eds.), Regional Geology and Tectonics, Volume 2: Phanerozoic Rift Systems and Sedimentary Basins (2^nd ed.), 101–120. Amsterdam: Elsevier

[34] Paul J.D., and P.J.B. Moore, 2023. Dating springlines from hydrogeological and archaeological evidence. Quaternary Research, 112, 150–159

[33] Cole J., A. Eskdale, and J.D. Paul, 2022. Tackling AMR: A call for a(n even) more integrated and transdisciplinary approach between Planetary Health and Earth Scientists. Challenges, 13(2), 66

[32] Eskdale A., M. El Tholth, J.D. Paul, J. Desphande, and J. Cole, 2022. Climate stress impacts on livestock health: Implications for farming livelihoods and animal disease in Karnataka, India. CABI One Health, doi:10.1079/cabionehealth.2022.0009

[31] Paul J.D., A. Radimilahy, R. Randrianalijaona, and T. Mulyakova, 2022. Lateritic processes in Madagascar and the link with agricultural and socioeconomic conditions. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 196, 104681

[30] Twomlow A., S. Grainger, K. Cieslik, J.D. Paul, and W. Buytaert, 2022. A user-centred design framework for disaster risk visualisation. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 103067

[29] Nayava J.L., J.K. Bhusal, J.D. Paul, W. Buytaert, B. Neupane, J. Gyawali, and S. Poudyal, 2022. Changing precipitation patterns in far-western Nepal in relation to landslides in Bajhang and Bajura districts. The Geographical Journal of Nepal, 15, 23–40

[28] Rowe J.M., and J.D. Paul, 2021. Cooling the London Underground: Evaluating the use of groundwater and subterranean river water. Sustainable Cities and Society, 76, 103531

[27] Pudifoot B., M.L. Cardenas, W. Buytaert, J.D. Paul, C.L. Narraway, and S. Loiselle, 2021. When it rains, it pours: Integrating citizen science methods to understand resilience of urban green spaces. Frontiers in Water, 3, 654493

[26] Paul J.D., 2021. Controls on eroded rock volume, a proxy for river incision, in Africa. Geology, 49(4), 422–427

[25] Paul J.D., E. Bee, and M. Budimir, 2021. Mobile phone technologies for disaster risk reduction. Climate Risk Management, 32, 100296

[24] Paul J.D., K. Cieslik, N. Sah, P. Shakya, B.P. Parajuli, S. Paudel, A. Dewulf, and W. Buytaert, 2020. Applying citizen science for sustainable development: Rainfall monitoring in western Nepal. Frontiers in Water, 2, 581375

[23] Pandeya B., M. Uprety, J.D. Paul, R.R. Sharma, S. Dugar and W. Buytaert, 2020. Mitigating flood risk using low-cost sensors and citizen science: A proof-of-concept study from western Nepal. Journal of Flood Risk Management, e12675

[22] Parajuli B.P., P. Khadka, P. Baskota, P. Shakya, W. Liu, U. Pudasaini, B.C. Roniksh, J.D. Paul, W. Buytaert and S. Vij, 2020. An open data and citizen science approach to building resilience to natural hazards in a data-scarce remote mountainous part of Nepal. Sustainability, 12(22), 9448

[21] Paul J.D., W. Buytaert and N. Sah, 2020. A technical evaluation of lidar-based measurement of river water levels. Water Resources Research, 56(4), e2019WR026810

[20] Paul J.D., D.M. Hannah and W. Liu, 2019. Citizen science: Reducing risk and building resilience to natural hazards. Frontiers in Earth Science, 7, 320

[19] Uprety M., B.F. Ochoa-Tocachi, J.D. Paul, S. Regmi and W. Buytaert, 2019. Improving water resources management using participatory monitoring in a remote mountainous region of Nepal. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 23, 100604

[18] Paul J.D. and W. Buytaert, 2018. Citizen science and low-cost sensors for Integrated Water Resources Management. In: J. Friesen and L. Rodriguez-Sinobas (eds.), Advances in Chemical Pollution, Environmental Management and Protection, 3, 1–33, London: Academic Press

[17] Zogheib C., B.F. Ochoa-Tocachi, J.D. Paul, D.M. Hannah, J. Clark and W. Buytaert, 2018. Exploring a water data, evidence, and governance theory. Water Security, 4–5, 19–25

[16] Paul J.D., N. Watson and E. Tuckwell, 2018. Comparison between scarp and dip-slope rivers of the Cotswold Hills, UK. Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association, 129(1), 57–69  

[15] Paul J.D., W. Buytaert, S. Allen, J.A. Ballesteros-Canovas, J. Bhusal, K. Cieslik, J. Clark, S. Dugar, D.M. Hannah, M. Stoffel, A. Dewulf. M.R. Dhital, W. Liu, J.L. Nayaval, B. Neupane, A. Schiller, P.J. Smith and R. Supper, 2018. Citizen science for hydrological risk reduction and resilience building. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water, 5, e1262

[14] Paul J.D., 2017. Correlations between rock and water characteristics of the Inferior Oolite aquifer, central Cotswolds, UK. Journal of Hydrology, 548, 448–457

[13] Paul J.D. and C.M. Eakin, 2017. Mantle Upwelling beneath Madagascar: Evidence from Receiver Function Analysis and Shear Wave Splitting. Journal of Seismology, 21(4), 825–836

[12] Paul J.D., 2017. The Limits of London. International Journal of Urban Sciences, 21(1), 41–57

[11] Paul J.D., 2016. Managing London's finest Chalk exposure: Riddlesdown Quarry. Earth Heritage, 45, 10–11

[10] Paul J.D., 2016. High-resolution geological maps of central London, UK: Comparisons with the London Underground. Geoscience Frontiers, 7(2), 273–28

[9] Paul J.D., 2015. The red island: Madagascar’s unique landscape. Geography, 100(3), 174–179

[8] Paul J.D., 2015. A question of uniformitarianism: Has the geological past become the key to humanity's future? Anthropocene, 9, 70–74

[7] Paul J.D., 2015. English Jurassic Limestone Country: Stroud, Central Cotswolds. Geology Today, 31(1), 28–32

[6] Paul J.D., G.G. Roberts and N. White, 2014. The African Landscape through Space and Time. Tectonics, 33(6) 898–935

[5] Paul J.D., 2014. The Relationship between Spring Discharge, Drainage, and Periglacial Geomorphology of the Frome Valley, Central Cotswolds, UK. Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association, 125, 182–194

[4] Paul J.D. and M.J. Blunt, 2012. Wastewater filtration and re-use: An alternative water source for London. Science of the Total Environment, 437, 173–184

[3] Roberts G.G., J.D. Paul, N. White and J. Winterbourne, 2012. Temporal and spatial evolution of dynamic support from river profiles: A framework for Madagascar. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 13(4), Q04004

[2] Agar S.M., S. Geiger, S. Matthäi, R. Alway, S. Tomas, A. Immenhauser, R. Shekhar, J.D. Paul, G. Benson, Z. Karcz and L. Kabiri, 2010. The impact of hierarchical fracture networks on flow partitioning in carbonate reservoirs: Examples based on a Jurassic carbonate ramp analog from the High Atlas (SPE 135135). SPE Proceedings, 5, 4096–4112

[1] Paul J.D., 2009. Geology and the London Underground. Geology Today, 25(1), 12–17