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    • Research at UC

Dr Tom Robinson

Contact

Department: School of Earth and Environment

Email: thomas.robinson@canterbury.ac.nz

Direct Dial: +64 3 3690758

Office:

Language: English

About
Research / Creative works
Supervision
Networks
Methods & Equipment

Fields of Research

  • Risk
  • Hazard
  • Disasters
  • Earthquakes
  • Landslides
  • Contingency Planning
  • Emergency Management

Researcher Summary

My research focusses on developing a greater understanding of earthquake hazards and disaster risk. In particular, I am interested in modelling earthquake-triggered landslides and their consequent impacts on people and critical lifelines. I also work on understanding how these landslides change and evolve following an earthquake and how this affects the longer-term post-earthquake recovery. My work involves a broad range of techniques including geospatial modelling, scenario modelling, risk analysis, and statistical analyses. I work throughout New Zealand and the Himalaya, including Nepal and Bhutan.

Current research projects:
1) Scenario modelling of earthquakes to deriving seismic risk
2) Modelling the evolution of landslides in earthquake disasters
3) The temporal and spatial variability of earthquake risk
4) The effectiveness of different earthquake mitigation actions

Subject Area: Disciplines

  • Earth Sciences: Engineering Geology; Geomorphology; Physical Geography; Tectonics
  • Resilience: Social: Emergency Management Planning
  • Resilience: Physical: Lifelines; Rockfall and Slope Stability; Seismicity
  • Resilience: Technological: Geospatial Analysis and Remote Sensing

Research/Scholarly/Creative Works

  • Kincey ME., Rosser NJ., Densmore AL., Robinson TR., Shrestha R., Singh Pujara D., Horton P., Swirad ZM., Oven KJ. and Arrell K. (2022) Modelling post-earthquake cascading hazards: Changing patterns of landslide runout following the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, Nepal. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/esp.5501. (Journal Articles)
  • Walsh E., Stahl T., Howell A. and Robinson T. (2022) Two-Dimensional Empirical Rupture Simulation: Examples and Applications to Seismic Hazard for the Kaikōura Region, New Zealand. Seismological Research Letters http://dx.doi.org/10.1785/0220220231. (Journal Articles)
  • Kincey ME., Rosser NJ., Robinson TR., Densmore AL., Shrestha R., Pujara DS., Oven KJ., Williams JG. and Swirad ZM. (2021) Evolution of Coseismic and Post-seismic Landsliding After the 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha Earthquake, Nepal. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface 126(3) http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2020JF005803. (Journal Articles)
  • Rosser N., Kincey M., Oven K., Densmore A., Robinson T., Pujara DS., Shrestha R., Smutny J., Gurung K. and Lama S. (2021) Changing significance of landslide Hazard and risk after the 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha, Nepal Earthquake. Progress in Disaster Science 10 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pdisas.2021.100159. (Journal Articles)
  • Robinson TR. (2020) Scenario ensemble modelling of possible future earthquake impacts in Bhutan. Natural Hazards 103(3): 3457-3478. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11069-020-04138-x. (Journal Articles)
  • Robinson TR., Rosser N. and Walters RJ. (2019) The Spatial and Temporal Influence of Cloud Cover on Satellite-Based Emergency Mapping of Earthquake Disasters. Scientific Reports 9(1) http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-49008-0. (Journal Articles)
  • Bracken L., Ruszczyk HA. and Robinson T. (2018) Preface. 1-192. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65211-5. (Authored Books)
  • Briggs J., Robinson T. and Davies T. (2018) Investigating the source of the c. AD 1620 West Coast earthquake: implications for seismic hazards. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 61(3): 376-388. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00288306.2018.1499537. (Journal Articles)
  • Robinson TR. (2018) Road impacts from the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake: an analogue for a future Alpine Fault earthquake? New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 61(3): 403-411. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00288306.2018.1470539. (Journal Articles)
  • Robinson TR. (2018) Disaster games and the role of science for informing high-level emergency response planning for Nepal. Evolving Narratives of Hazard and Risk: The Gorkha Earthquake, Nepal, 2015: 87-105. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65211-5_6. (Chapters)
  • Robinson TR., Rosser NJ., Davies T., Wilson TM. and Orchiston C. (2018) Near-real-time modeling of landslide impacts to inform rapid response: An example from the 2016 Kaikōura, New Zealand, earthquake. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 108(3B): 1665-1682. http://dx.doi.org/10.1785/0120170234. (Journal Articles)
  • Robinson TR., Rosser NJ., Densmore AL., Oven KJ., Shrestha SN. and Guragain R. (2018) Use of scenario ensembles for deriving seismic risk. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 115(41): E9532-E9541. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1807433115. (Journal Articles)
  • Robinson TR., Ruszczyk HA. and Bracken LJ. (2018) Looking and moving forward. Evolving Narratives of Hazard and Risk: The Gorkha Earthquake, Nepal, 2015: 183-192. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65211-5_11. (Chapters)
  • Ruszczyk HA. and Robinson T. (2018) Introduction to the Gorkha earthquake. 3-13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65211-5_1. (Authored Books)
  • Williams JG., Rosser NJ., Kincey ME., Benjamin J., Oven KJ., Densmore AL., Milledge DG., Robinson TR., Jordan CA. and Dijkstra TA. (2018) Satellite-based emergency mapping using optical imagery: Experience and reflections from the 2015 Nepal earthquakes. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 18(1): 185-205. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/nhess-18-185-2018. (Journal Articles)
  • Robinson TR., Rosser NJ., Densmore AL., Williams JG., Kincey ME., Benjamin J. and Bell HJA. (2017) Rapid post-earthquake modelling of coseismic landslide intensity and distribution for emergency response decision support. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 17(9): 1521-1540. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/nhess-17-1521-2017. (Journal Articles)
  • Williams JG., Rosser NJ., Kincey ME., Benjamin J., Oven KJ., Densmore AL., Milledge DG. and Robinson TR. (2017) Satellite-based emergency mapping: Landslides triggered by the 2015 Nepal earthquake. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/nhess-2017-273. (Journal Articles)
  • Robinson TR., Davies TRH., Wilson TM. and Orchiston C. (2016) Coseismic landsliding estimates for an Alpine Fault earthquake and the consequences for erosion of the Southern Alps, New Zealand. Geomorphology 263: 71-86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2016.03.033. (Journal Articles)
  • Robinson TR., Davies TRH., Wilson TM., Orchiston C. and Barth N. (2016) Evaluation of coseismic landslide hazard on the proposed Haast-Hollyford Highway, South Island, New Zealand. Georisk: Assessment and Management of Risk for Engineered Systems and Geohazards 10(2): 146-163. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17499518.2015.1077974. (Journal Articles)
  • Davies TR., Beaven S., Conradson D., Densmore A., Gaillard JC., Johnston D., Milledge D., Oven K., Petley D. and Rigg J. (2015) Towards disaster resilience: A scenario-based approach to co-producing and integrating hazard and risk knowledge. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 13: 242-247. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2015.05.009. (Journal Articles)
  • Kritikos T., Robinson TR. and Davies TRH. (2015) Regional coseismic landslide hazard assessment without historical landslide inventories: A new approach. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface 120(4): 711-729. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2014JF003224. (Journal Articles)
  • Robinson TR., Buxton R., Wilson TM., Cousins WJ. and Christophersen AM. (2015) Multiple infrastructure failures and restoration estimates from an Alpine Fault earthquake: Capturing modelling information for MERIT.Commissioned by Economics of Resilient Infrastructure Research Report 2015/04. 80. (Reports)
  • Robinson TR., Davies TRH., Reznichenko NV. and De Pascale GP. (2015) The extremely long-runout Komansu rock avalanche in the Trans Alai range, Pamir Mountains, southern Kyrgyzstan. Landslides 12(3): 523-535. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10346-014-0492-y. (Journal Articles)
  • Hall L., Robinson T., Duffy B., Gravley D. and Hampton SJ. (2014) Using landslide susceptibility modeling to investigate potential earthquake triggers for the anomalously large green lake rock avalanche, New Zealand. Vancouver, Canada: 2014 Geological Society of America Annual Meeting (GSA), 19-22 Oct 2014. (Conference Contributions - Other)
  • Robinson TR. (2014) Assessment of Coseismic Landsliding from an Alpine Fault Earthquake Scenario, New Zealand. Christchurch, New Zealand. University of Canterbury. (Theses / Dissertations)
  • Robinson TR. and Davies TRH. (2013) Review Article: Potential geomorphic consequences of a future great (Mw = 8.0+) Alpine Fault earthquake, South Island, New Zealand. Natural Hazards and Earth System Science 13(9): 2279-2299. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/nhess-13-2279-2013. (Journal Articles)
  • Robinson TR. and Davies TRH. (2013) Review Article: Potential geomorphic consequences of a future great (Mw = 8.0+) Alpine Fault earthquake, South Island, New Zealand. Natural Hazards and Earth System Science, 13, 2279-2299. doi:10.5194/nhess-13-2279-2013. Natural Hazards and Earth System Science 13: 2279-2299. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/nhess-13-2279-2013. (Journal Articles)
  • Robinson TR., Wilson TM., Davies TRH., Orchiston C. and Thompson JR. (2013) An Alpine fault earthquake: Consequences for the Otago Region. Otago Regional Council, Dunedin: Otago Regional Council Presentation. (Oral Presentations)

Student Supervision

Displaying all items.
    Current
  • PhD - Calderon R: Disaster risk management for caldera volcanoes in Taupo volcanic zone
  • PhD - Darling M: Assessing Transient Populations Exposure to Disaster Risk
  • PhD - Taylor C: The rise of GLOF risk: current and future estimates of global GLOF risk
  • Masters - Coultas E: Enhancing volcanic evacuation resilience in Taranaki by assessing and modelling dynamic population exposure
  • Masters - Dow D: A study on rockfall fragmentation
  • Masters - Harris O: Agent-based modelling for a landslide-generated tsunami in Milford Sound
  • Masters - McMecking J: Landslide dam outburst flood risk: modelling hazard and risk on the West Coast , NZ
  • Masters - Polwart M: Risk from post-earthquake landslides: modelling potential remobilisation of coseismic landslides
  • Masters - Rozmus K: Analysis of the Arthurs Point Landslide complex, Queenstown Lakes District, NZ
  • Completed
  • Masters - R N: Comparative risk analysis for hazards in Franz Josef, NZ (2022)
  • Masters - Walsh E: Modelling complex multi-fault ruptures: a 2D empirical approach (2022)

Affiliations

  • QuakeCoRE (Teaching/Research Organisation): Associate Investigator

Research Groups

  • Geological Hazards
  • Hazard and Disaster Management
  • Transport Research Hub

Key Methodologies

  • Geospatial Modelling
  • Scenario Modelling
  • Fuzzy Logic
  • Statistical Analyses
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