Professor Derek Jackson

Overview

Professor Derek Jackson is an Earth scientist specialising in geomorphology, sediment transport and the evolution of wind-shaped landscapes on both Earth and Mars. His research examines how airflow, sediment supply, extreme events and longer-term environmental change interact to shape terrestrial and planetary surfaces.

His work combines field observation, process measurement and three-dimensional computational modelling to investigate aeolian dynamics across scales—from individual bedforms to dune systems and sedimentary landscapes. A major strand of his research considers how climate change and storm activity affect coastal systems, supporting the development of evidence-based approaches to landscape management and adaptation.
He is internationally recognised for research on wind-blown sediment transport and comparative Earth–Mars geomorphology, including the investigation of dune fields, sedimentary landforms and the environmental conditions governing their development and persistence.

Professor Jackson is an elected Fellow of the Royal Irish Academy, the Royal Geographical Society and the Geological Society of London. He is also an Honorary Visiting Researcher at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
He has held visiting professorships at universities in South Africa, Spain and France. He serves on the editorial boards of leading international journals, contributes to international conference committees, and has led numerous multidisciplinary and multi-agency research projects and consortia. He is also a member of the UK Natural Environment Research Council Peer Review College.