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RESEARCH GROUP PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY (FARD)

Welcome on the website of the research group of Physical Geography (FARD) of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). Activities in our research group focus on both education and scientific research, in which the processes that shape the physical environment are key. More specifically, emphasis is laid on ice and climate interactions, as well as volcanology, geomorphology and natural hazard assessment, for both past, current and future conditions. In this regard, various research methods are being applied and developped, including numerical modelling, hazard management and field-based quantitative data collection campaigns abroad.

"GEOGRAPHY EXPLAINS THE PAST, ILLUMINATES THE PRESENT AND PREPARES US FOR FUTURE. WHAT COULD BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT?" - MICHAEL PALIN

Fieldwork on the Pers and Morteratsch glaciers (Switzerland)
Fieldwork on the Pers and Morteratsch glaciers (Switzerland)
View on the Pers glacier (Switzerland)
View from Piz Palü (Switzerland)
Aerial drones are used to map the glacier.
Holes in the ice are drilled for mass balance measurements.
Performing mass balance measurements on the glacier.
Performing mass balance measurements on the glacier.
View on the Morteratsch glacier (Switzerland)
Performing field work on the Morteratsch glacier (Switzerland).
Performing field work on the Morteratsch glacier (Switzerland).
Fieldwork on the Golubin glacier (Kyrgyzstan).
Fieldwork on the Golubin glacier (Kyrgyzstan).
Fieldwork on the Djankuat glacier (Caucasus).
View on the Djankuat glacier (Caucasus).
Fieldwork on Oldoinyo Lengai (Tanzania)
Fieldwork near the Kivu rift (D.R. Congo)
The summit of Mt. Cameroon (Cameroon)
Volcano in Lanzarote, Canaries Islands (Spain)
A landslide in Bujumbura (Burundi)
The Summit of Oldoinyo Lengai (Tanzania)
Fieldwork on Karthala caldera (Grand Comores)
Presenting our research activities of the volcanology, geomorphology and natural hazard group.
Presenting our research activities of the volcanology, geomorphology and natural hazard group.

OUR RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

ICE AND CLIMATE GROUP

CRYOSPHERIC PROCESSES

THE CLIMATE SYSTEM

PALEO-CLIMATOLOGY

Annual field work is conducted on the Morteratsch and Pers glaciers in Switzerland

The Ice and Climate research group focuses on the dynamics of glaciers and ice sheets and their interaction with the climatic system. Main research activities concentrate on modelling studies of past and future behavior of large continental ice sheets and mountain glaciers.

We are mainly working on 3-D thermomechanical models, which are used to simulate the ice sheets of Antarctica, Greenland, and those that covered the northern hemisphere continents during the ice ages, on time scales ranging from Tertiary ice-sheet inception to glacial-interglacial cycles and future anthropogenic warming.

This work is complemented with numerical modelling of Arctic ice caps and field-based activities on alpine mountain glaciers in Switzerland (the European Alps), the Russian Federation (the Caucasus), Kyrgyzstan (High Mountain Asia). Of specific interest is a better understanding of the role and dynamics of land ice in relation to the climate and its consequences for global sea level.

CURRENT PROJECTS (CLICK FOR INFO)

Involvement in earler and/or finished projects of the ice and climate group include the following list:

NEEM (North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling): modelling the Greenland ice sheet in support of ice-core drilling.
ISMIP6 (Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project for CMIP6): intercomparison of presently existing ice-sheet and ice-shelf models.
Ice2sea: an EU FP7 project to further refine projections of the large ice sheets over the next 200 years and their contribution to sea level change.
iCLIPS: Constraining long-term climate and sea-level projections using the Last Interglacial.

FARD IN THE NEWS

Latest media appearances

Vulkaanuitbarsting Tonga bij de grotere van deze eeuw
VUB TODAY (18/01/2022)

De uitbarsting van de vulkaan Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai op de eilandenarchipel van het Polynesische koninkrijk Tonga in de Stille Oceaan deed de wereld enkele dagen geleden opschrikken. In alle landen rond de Stille Oceaan was er tsnuami-alarm en werd er kort een luchtdrukval waargenomen in weerstations... Read more

Gletsjers in de Zwitserse Alpen smelten almaar sneller "dit is de opwarming van de aarde voor onze ogen"
VRTNWS (06/10/2021)

In amper 20 jaar tijd is 1 km van de Morteratsch-gletsjer gesmolten. Ter vergelijking: tussen 1860 en 2000 smolt er 2 km van de gletsjer weg. Gletsjers smelten dus almaar sneller, "en dat is onherstelbaar en onherroepelijk voor een lange termijn". "De Alpen, zoals we ze kennen, met gletsjers en ijs, zijn aan het verdwijnen... Read more

Klimaatexpert Philippe Huybrechts: "Opwarming zet zich steeds verder door, extremen zullen extremer worden”
HLN (16/08/2021)

Volgens het nieuwste rapport van het klimaatpanel van de Verenigde Naties (IPCC) is er geen twijfel meer dat menselijke activiteit aan de basis van de klimaatopwarming ligt. Een opwarming van 1,5 graden Celsius wereldwijd is bijgevolg niet meer te vermijden. Ook volgens klimaatwetenschapper aan de VUB... Read more

Is het slim nog een huis aan zee te kopen? Veranderen de seizoenen? Het antwoord op zeven klimaatvragen
De Standaard (15/08/2021)

Wat staat ons de komende decennia te wachten als we de huidige CO₂-uitstoot niet drastisch verminderen? Zijn de extreme weersomstandigheden in Europa het directe gevolg van de opwarming van de aarde? In zeven video’s geeft klimatoloog Philippe Huybrechts, die meeschreef aan het recentste IPCC-rapport... Read more

VOLCANOLOGY, GEOMORPHOLOGY AND NATURAL HAZARD GROUP

VOLCANO-LOGY

GEOMOR-PHOLOGY

NATURAL HAZARDS

The Volcanology, Geomorphology and Natural Hazard group focuses on hazardous geomorphological and volcanological processes in developing countries, with specific interest in geomorphology, landslides and volcano-tectonic aspects.

Current projects are dedicated to the study of hazardous morpho-structural processes in active volcanic regions, including the modelling of volcano growth through eruptive and intrusive processes, lava flow emplacement, flank collapse, interactions with tectonic structures and erosion processes (EVoLVe project).

The applications concentrate in various volcanic regions of Africa, including Tanzania, South West Uganda and Ethiopia. Latest projects also encompass research activities in the Hoa Binh Province in Vietnam. Research approaches involve combining remote sensing and field observations with scaled quantitative analogue models and application of existing numerical models.

Involvement of the volcanology, geomorphology and natural hazard group in earler projects include:

Serious games for disaster risk awareness: Our group has designed, tested and validated two serious game to raise awareness about disaster risk reduction and risk management: Hazagora and DisCOORD.
Q-LavHA: A plugin to simulate lava flows.
AFRESLIDE: Landslides in Equatorial Africa: Identigying culturally, technically and economically feasible resilience strategies. Find the final report here.
GEORISCA: GeoRisk in Central Africa: integrating multi-hazards and vulnerability to support risk management. Find the final report here.

HOW TO CONTACT US

Philippe HUYBRECHTS - Director and professor
	Vrije Universiteit Brussel Department of Geography Room 4F114a Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels Phone: +32-2-6293593 Mobile: +32-474-993395 philippe.huybrechts@vub.be Specialization: climatology, paleoclimatology, glaciology
Matthieu KERVYN DE MEERENDRE - Professor
	Vrije Universiteit Brussel Department of Geography Room F 8.67 Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels Phone: +32-2-629 36 61 Fax: +32-2-629-3378 matthieu.kervyn.de.meerendre@vub.be Specialization: geomorphology, volcanology and natural hazard
Deparment of Geography - Secretariat
	Vrije Universiteit Brussel Department of Geography Room F.4.61 Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels Tel: +32 2 629 33 82 Open: mon to thu 9-12 am and 2-4 pm and fri 9-12 am Aicha.Amazzouj@vub.be How to reach: Campus Etterbeek