Hi There!!

I’m Dr Josh Allin, a marine geoscientist and former PhD student at the National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton. My research focusses on the processes that transport sediment within the world’s oceans, particularly submarine landslides and turbidity currents. Submarine landslides and turbidity currents are one of the most voluminous sediment transport mechanisms operating on our planet. They are also the principal mechanisms transporting sediment into the deep ocean. Due to their potential size (>100 km3) and speed (>20 meters per second), submarine landslides and turbidity currents pose considerable risk to strategic marine infrastructure such as oil rigs and subsea telecommunication cables.

Photo: Me in Svalbard, 2014

I am part of the larger ‘Arctic Research Program – Landslide Tsunamis’ project that aims to evaluate the role of climate change on the frequency of submarine landslides in the North Atlantic. The goal of the project is to determine any potential risk which may exist to the UK coastline from possible tsunamis, which can be created by submarine landslides. I have also contributed research to the ASTARTE project, which aims to increase tsunami resilience in the North East Atlantic and Mediterranean regions, and to improve the preparedness of coastal populations to save lives and assets.

Photo: Me presenting my research on submarine landslides at the European Geosciences Union, 2016

I first became interested in geography and Earth sciences during my GCSEs, after which I did geography for A-level. I was accepted onto a bachelor degree in Earth science at University College Cork and graduated in 2011. The following year I completed a masters degree in environmental science at Trinity College, Dublin. In 2013 I began my PhD the University of Southampton, and completed it in December 2016.

Photo: Me (far left) and the Landslide-Tsunami team in the North Atlantic aboard the RV Pelagia, 2014