The Landslide Blog is written by Dave Petley, who is widely recognized as a world leader in the study and management of landslides.
Professor Denys Brunsden, one of the most influential and impactful people in geomorphology, sadly died last week, at the age of 87. He will be missed greatly by us all.
Denys described his career journey in a blog for King’s College a few years ago. Remarkably, after studying for a degree in Geography at King’s College London, starting in 1956, Denys remained there for the whole of his career, rising ultimately to the rank of professor. In his early years his research examined landform evolution, but thereafter most of his focus was on applied geomorphology, and in particular on engineering geomorphology and landslides. He was hugely influential across a range of areas of physical geography, geomorphology and engineering geology.
Across such a diversity of research areas, it is almost impossible to identify highlights, but allow me to describe a few.
First, and most famously, his work on landslides on the coasts of Dorset and the Isle of Wight in southern England included detailed monitoring, process analysis and long term landform evolution. This work, which has been highly influential, included high resolution monitoring of slope processes (with Bob Allison and Alex Koh, for example), archival work on activation histories (with Maia Ibsen), the use of aerial imagery to interpret patterns of movement (with Jim Chandler) and controls on movement by the pore fluid chemistry (with Roger Moore). This is foundational work for landslide research, but also provided detailed insight into the mechanics of these particular slopes.
So much of my own work has been base upon the approaches pioneered by Denys, working collaboratively with others.
Second, working with other greats in the field, such as David K.C. Jones, Ron Cooke, John Doornkamp and Gareth Hearn (and others), Denys essentially founded the discipline of Engineering Geomorphology. The study undertaken with David K.C. Jones and Andrew Goudie on the Karakoram Highway (which I was to return to at the time of the Attabad landslide), and the work on the remarkable Ok Tedi landslide in Papua New Guinea, with Jim Griffiths, John Hutchinson, Peter Fookes and my father, Derek Petley, are notable examples. Denys summarised the role of geomorphology in engineering design in his wonderful Glossop Lecture in 2001, which was published in the Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology in 2002.
And thirdly, Denys remained deeply interested in the principles of landscape evolution, ranging from his work with Sidney Wooldridge on Dartmoor during his PhD to his amazing conceptualisations of sensitivity and of geomorphological events. His work creates a framework through which landscape evolution can be understood, and it has stood the test of time as research has become increasingly quantitative.
As the names listed above show, Denys worked with a range of astonishing people. But, of course, there was a deeply human side too. Denys was joyous, generous, kind and passionate. He could be controversial in the right kind of way, and loved to challenge; he was an expert at getting the best out of people.
I have a personal tale to tell about him. In the summer of 1987, I had studied Aeronautical Engineering for a year at the University of Manchester, but it was clear to me that I was on the wrong path. I wanted to study Geography, but given my commission in the Royal Air Force, that was somewhat complex. Denys, who was the admissions tutor for the Geography programme at King’s College London, agreed to talk to me. In his office, a converted hotel room in the Norfolk Building at King’s College, he listened intently to my story. On the spot, and to my surprise, he offered me a place to study Geography at King’s, but only if I accepted immediately, which I did. He helped me to complete the paperwork, walked me to the Registry to submit it, and took me to the accommodation office to obtain a place in a hall of residence. I walked out of King’s in a daze three hours later, perhaps not realising that I had hit a fundamental turning point in my life.
Having secured a place at King’s College I was able to disentangle my other commitments. A fortnight later I started at King’s. I loved the course, and in particular the lectures and fieldwork that Denys led. At the end of my degree, Denys put me in contact with Bob Allison, who had been his PhD student, and in due course I studied for a PhD under Bob’s supervision at UCL. I subsequently went on to work with Bob at the University of Durham.
At times academia is a small world, but we all stand on the shoulders of giants. There is no greater giant for me than Denys.
On retirement, Denys moved to his beloved Dorset. He took on the role of Chair of the Dorset Coast Forum, which led on the creation of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. Remarkably, it is still the only natural UN World Heritage Site in England and Wales. Generations of geomorphologists and engineering geologists have visited the Dorset landslides, and Denys always had time to meet with them and to explain the ways in which the landscape functions.
Denys will be missed greatly by us all. There is a book of condolences online, please do visit to leave a message.