Gerald Roberts

Gerald Roberts is a full Professor of Earthquake Geology at Birkbeck, University of London, within the School of Natural Sciences. He has held leadership roles as Head of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (2012–2018) and serves on the NERC Core Panel. His research focuses on active fault dynamics, seismic hazard assessment, and Mars geology, supported by a £811,925 NERC grant (2021–ongoing).

Education:

• PhD, University of Durham, 1991
• BSc Geology, University of Wales, Cardiff, 1987

Research Interests:

• Active fault slip-rates and earthquake recurrence
• Cosmogenic 36Cl and U/Th dating of fault scarps
• Stress modeling of fault systems
• Seismic hazard quantification
• Planetary geology of Mars

Grants & Projects:

• NERC Standard Grant NE/V012894/1 (2021–2025): Investigates fault interactions in Greece using fieldwork, cosmogenic dating, and Coulomb stress modeling.
• Past projects include studies in Italy, Crete, and Mars, with a focus on linking fault geometry to seismic behavior.

Students & Supervision:

• Current PhD students: Sam Mitchell (Greece), Tom Wigley (Greece), Brian Kneller (Mars), and Jason Brown (Mars).
• Alumni include Jennifer Robertson (2021), Francesco Iezzi (2020), and Marco Meschis (2019).

Teaching: Leads modules on structural geology, field mapping, and planetary science.