Congratulations to COMET’s James Jackson who has received a CBE for his services to environmental science.

As well as being Head of the Department of Earth Sciences at Cambridge, James was one of the founding members of COMET and has been a major contributor to its ongoing success.

James has pioneered the combination of earthquake source seismology, geomorphology, space geodesy and remote sensing to examine how the continents are deforming, looking at scales that range from single earthquakes to the vast continental areas of active plate movement such as Africa, Iran and the Aegean.

He is also currently leading the Earthquakes without Frontiers (EwF) project, which brings together Earth and social scientists, science communicators, policy makers and local and regional organisations to increase resilience to earthquakes in countries across Asia.

Following the devastating earthquakes earlier this year, Following the devest the EwF team has been working with colleagues in Nepal with a view to improving resilience to future earthquakes, not just in Nepal and neighbouring countries, but also for earthquake-prone nations across the globe.

COMET Director Tim Wright said “James has had a huge influence on many of us as a scientist, teacher, and colleague, and I congratulate him on this latest award ”.

Earlier this month, James also received the Wollaston Medal, the highest award given by the Geological Society.

Well done James from all at COMET, we wish you continued success.

Notes:  Professor James Jackson is Head of the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge and also a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).  You can read more about James and his work here.

Two COMET scientists received prestigious awards from the Geological Society of London.

The Society, which has been recognising significant achievements in the Earth sciences since 1831, presented its Wollaston Medal (its highest award, for impacts on pure or applied geology) to COMET’s James Jackson, Professor of Active Tectonics at the University of Cambridge.

Professor Jackson’s work includes research into active tectonics in New Zealand, Iran, Turkey, Greece and Tibet, where he has made vital contributions to understanding the evolution and deformation of the continents, from individual faults to mountain belts.

Professor Geoff Wadge of the University of Reading received the Murchison Medal, awarded to geologists who have contributed significantly to ‘hard’ rock studies.  Professor Wadge was recognised for his contributions to geology and remote sensing, including research into volcanology, Caribbean tectonics, and volcanic hazards and risk assessment. The awards were presented by Geological Society President Professor David Manning at their President’s Day on 3 June 2015.