Nick Drake

Professor Nick Drake is a leading academic in Physical Geography at King's College London, specializing in remote sensing, GIS, and arid zone studies. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Science (1983) and a Master of Applied Science in Geochemical Exploration (1986). After postdoctoral research at Reading University, he joined King's in 1992, becoming a Professor in 2013. His work focuses on desert geomorphology, paleoclimates, and human-environment interactions, particularly in the Sahara and Arabian Peninsula. He leads the Sahara Megalakes Project, investigating ancient lakes in Chad, Libya, and Tunisia. His research integrates remote sensing and fieldwork to explore human dispersals and environmental changes.

Education: BSc (Plymouth Polytechnic), MAppSc (University of New South Wales), PhD (part-time, Reading University, 1986-1992). Academic roles include editorial board memberships for journals like Journal of Arid Environments and leadership in the Society for Libyan Studies. Teaching includes courses on environmental remote sensing, arid environments, and global change.

Research interests span remote sensing applications, semi-arid geomorphology, and geoarchaeology. Key projects include reconstructing Saharan and Arabian paleoenvironments and tracing hominin dispersals. Recent work highlights recurrent humid phases in Arabia and the role of ancient lakes in human migration. His articles address climate-landscape interactions, dust dynamics, and Holocene subsistence strategies.

Grants and collaborations involve international projects with universities from nine countries. Supervised PhD students include P. Breeze (NERC-funded) and N. Yan. Awards include editorial and leadership roles in academic societies. Labs/groups include the Earth Observation and Environmental Sensing Hub at King's.