Alexander Whittaker

Dr. Alexander Whittaker is a Reader in Landscape Dynamics at the Department of Earth Science & Engineering, Imperial College London. His research focuses on the interplay between tectonics, climate, and sedimentation processes in landscapes. He holds affiliations with the Basins Research Group, Grantham Institute, and Imperial Centre for Geohazards. Whittaker's work integrates field observations, remote sensing, and numerical modeling to study active faulting, fluvial dynamics, and sediment routing systems.

• Education:
  • PhD (2007), University of Edinburgh
  • M.A. (2005), University of Cambridge
  • MSci. (2002), University of Cambridge
  • B.A. (2001), University of Cambridge
• Research Interests:
  • Active tectonics and geohazards
  • Climate-driven erosion and sedimentation
  • Fluvial and submarine channel systems
  • Quantitative paleohydrology
  • Source-to-sink sediment flux analysis

Recent publications highlight his focus on sediment dynamics in the Pyrenees during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), fluvial intermittency under climate change, and induced seismicity mechanisms. His work bridges geology, geophysics, and environmental science, addressing both natural hazards and anthropogenic impacts.

Whittaker’s grants include funding for projects on flood risk assessment in the Ganga Basin and machine learning applications in seismology. He leads the Earth Observation Network and collaborates with international teams on sedimentary basin studies.