Post:	Pro Vice Chancellor
Other posts:	Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research)
Location:	Sussex House SH-316
Email:	R.J.Allison@sussex.ac.uk
Telephone numbers
Internal:	8253 or 8212
UK:	(01273) 678253 or (01273) 678212
International:	+44 1273 678253 or +44 1273 678212

Biography

Robert Allison is Professor of Geography and Pro-Vice-Chancellor at the University of Sussex.

Bob's research interests examine interactions between earth processes, landforms and material properties. Past projects have been funded by a range of organisations including the Natural Environment Research Council, The Royal Society, and The Nuffield Foundation. Professor Allison has been the recipient of honours and awards: Jan De Ploey Prize (Katholieke Universitat Leuven 1993); Charles Lyell Award (British Association for the Advancement of Science 1995); Cuthbert Peek Award (Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers 1997), all principally for research in hillslope processes and arid land geomorphology. Bob contributes to the work of a range of organisations; he both sits on and chairs a range of grant committees at the NERC, shortly becomes Chair of the British Society for Geomorphology and contributes in a variety of ways to the activities of the Royal Geographical Society (with the Insitute of British Geographers).

 As Pro-Vice-Chancellor Bob is one of the University Principal Officers. His responsibilities encompass research, enterprise, innovation and a range of regional activities. Bob is Director and Chairman of the Sussex Innovation Centre Ltd. and Sussex IP Ltd., two companies that promote knowledge transfer between the University community and external organisations.

Role

Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research)

Professor of Geography

Research

My initial research interests, developed during my doctoral thesis, sought to explain how controlling variables determine spatial and temporal patterns of landslide activity. The research programme linked, for the first time, an extended field-based electronic logger record of mudslide movement patterns with laboratory data to develop stability models (Allison & Brunsden, 1989). The key substantive outcomes were the extension of early work on landslide undrained loading theory and the recognition of hitherto undetermined variations in movement activity rates (Allison & Brunsden, 1990). Of equal importance was my realisation of a theoretical need to integrate a detailed understanding of geomechanics in developing models of natural landslides (Allison, 1991a 1992d) and reflection on these and related theoretical work (Allison, 1993a 1994a).

The interest in earth material properties has developed as an underpinning theme to much of my research, either in the application of new methodologies (Allison, 1987a 1988b 1990b 1991b) or in promoting the theoretical importance of understanding stress, strain and shear (see Allison, 1996b for example). This particularly involved seeking more powerful approaches to elucidate changing spatial and temporal patterns of geomorphological activity rates. In this respect, I attempted to move forwards a number of the concerns which were raised by my doctorate. Equally, there was a growing recognition that I needed to look beyond standard approaches to understanding instability, in order to better interpret cause - effect linkages between controlling variables and slope development. While an understanding of basic geotechnics has been a part of some branches of geomorphological research for some time, the application of advanced soil and rock mechanics methodologies is still novel and challenges the established approach in a way which is having an impact on understanding earth material behaviour.

The opportunity to extend research abroad permitted me to consider process dynamics in relation to earth materials through the study of sediment transport pathways in arid environments. First in the Sultanate of Oman, then on the Kimberly Plateau of Western Australia, I was able to focus on sand mobility (Allison, 1988b) and on slopes in lithified aranaceous, rather than soft argillaceous sediments (Allison & Goudie, 1990a; Allison Goudie & Cox, 1993). By developing quantitative indices of slope form and linking morphology with rock stress-strain characteristics it became apparent that aspects of my doctoral research had not fully appreciated the importance of different lithospheric stress regimes in determining geomorphological processes, patterns and rates.

By the late 1980s I realised that the neglect of critical state soil and rock mechanics by geomorphology was limiting my research. Consequently I moved away from academic geography to the Rock Mechanics Group in Geological Sciences at University College London, as a Lecturer in Engineering Sedimentology. With the research environment at UCL bringing me into daily contact with Engineering Geologists and Civil Engineers, the methodological framework for my personal research shifted. This arose for two reasons: first the materials science work in which I became involved; second because I identified new environments, such as neotectonic terrains in the tropics, which are ideal for undertaking short-term studies which integrate geomorphological and geomaterials approaches. Of particular importance at this time was my first use of Cam Clay theory in understanding sediment deformation (Enriquez-Reyes, Allison & Jones, 1990; Allison, 1996b; Fan, Allison & Jones, 1994 1996). This has since become the requested subject of a number in invited keynote conference lectures, at the British Geomorphological Research Group meeting in May 1998 and the Athens International Association of Engineering Geologists Conference in July 1997 for example, and was one of the reasons noted at the award of the Jan De Ploey Prize by the Katholieke Universitat Leuven in 1993.In parallel with work on landslides developed in soft sediments, it became apparent that a significant advance could be made in understanding rates and mechanisms of change in hard rock slopes and cliffs, an area largely unstudied by geomorphologists due to the complexities of formative event time scales (Allison, 1989), and where understanding lags significantly behind other areas of slope research. I began preliminary work to examine new finite element and distinct element modelling approaches as a vehicle for integrating geomorphological, geological and geotechnical data as a method for both (a) elucidating rock slope development rates, (b) addressing a range of fundamental issues such as rockfall magnitude and frequency, the pulsed nature of movement episodes in relation to changes in controlling variables (Allison & Goudie, 1990b) and (c) fluid - rock interactions which determine stability thresholds (Allison, 1987).

The key to my research since returning to academic geography is embedded within understanding the interaction between materials, process and form (Allison, 1998). Major advances have been made in the field of geotechnics and failure mechanics of rock masses (see Petley & Allison, 1997 for some theoretical considerations), including the development of powerful distinct element modelling codes (Allison, in press(b); Allison & Kimber 1998; Kimber, Allison & Cox, 1998). Extensive field research has been undertaken at sites in the UK and USA. The next step is to link this work with laboratory simulation studies of weathering rates and a project is being developed with new field sites in Wadi Rum, Jordan. Where slopes are sediment-covered rather than rock-bare, much has been achieved in elucidating movement pathway interactions (Allison et al., 1998; Allison, 1997a 1992f; Al-Homoud, Allison, Sunna & White, 1995), slope - stream coupling of sediment delivery and the influence of boulders across hillslopes in controlling delivery patterns (Allison & Davis, 1996; Allison & Higgitt, 1998; Higgitt & Allison 1998).

The above research themes focus on the ultimate goal of understanding slope development. My other interest provides a common research link, by determining the effects of weathering on material properties (see Allison & Goudie, 1994; Goudie, Allison & McLaren, 1992 for example) and rates of sediment production (see Fan, Allison & Jones, 1996 for example). This requires the integration of field and laboratory data, with the ultimate focus of developing either theoretical or mathematical / computer models. It was for significantly extending knowledge through this integrative approach for which I was presented with the Cuthbert Peek Award by the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) in 1997. Throughout my research I have retained a strong focus on hillslope systems and their evolution. I have sought to refine understanding of processes of change in different environments (temperate, arid, tropical), while at the same time addressing underpinning themes which link sediment transfer dynamics and slope development, what ever the nature of the hillslope system.

Teaching

F8051: Geomorphology

L7005: The Natural Environment

Selected publications

2005

Combined digital photogrammetry and time-of-flight laser scanning for monitoring cliff evolution (with Lim, M, Petley, D.N. and Rosser, N.J.) in Photogrammetric Record Oxford: Volume 20 pp. 109-129

Terrestrial laser scanning for monitoring the process of hard rock coastal cliff erosion (with Rosser, N.J., Petley, D.N. and Lim, M.) in Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology Volume 38 pp. 363-375

2004

Data driven modelling of a complex mining subsidence process (with Kemling, I, Scott, I M and Petley, D N) in SPIE proceedings series:Remote sensing for environmental monitoring, GIS applications, and geology. Conference No4 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers Volume 5574 pp. 133-146 ISBN 0819455210

The response of archaeological sediments and artefacts to imposed stress regimes as a consequence of past, present and future anthropogenic activity (with Sidell, E.J., Higuchi, T. and Long, A.J.) in Preserving Archaeological remains in-situ London: Museum of London Archaeology Service pp. 42-49 ISBN 1901992365

2002

Rates and mechanisms of change in hard rock steep slopes on the Colorado Plateau USA (with Kimber. O.G. and Cox, N.J.) Allison, R.J., ed., in Applied Geomorphology Chichester: John WIley & Sons Ltd pp. 65-90 ISBN 0-471-89555-5

2001

Geomorphological processes: rates, relationships and return intervals Marinos, P., Koukis, G.C., Tsiambaos, G.C. and Stournaras, G.C., ed., in Engineering Geology and the Environment Rotterdam: Balkema Volume 4 pp. 3471-3490 ISBN 90 5410 881 9