New BGS Chief Scientist for multi-hazards and resilience announced
Prof Jonathan Chambers has been appointed as the new BGS Chief Scientist for multi-hazards and resilience, effective from 1 June 2024.
09/05/2024 By BGS Press
BGS’s multi-hazards and resilience (MHR) science challenge area engages with partners in the UK and internationally to support communities, governments and industry in building resilience to hazardous events. Jonathan will oversee the delivery of fundamental scientific research into risk mitigation and adaption to geological and associated environmental hazards through improved characterisation, monitoring, forecasting and information delivery.
Based at the BGS Headquarters in Keyworth, Nottingham, but working across all BGS sites, this role involves leadership of around 100 scientific and technical staff. One of Jonathan’s first tasks will be to work alongside other members of the BGS Senior Management Board and Science Strategy Group to implement and deliver the new BGS Business Plan.
Jonathan is an engineering geophysicist with more than 25 years of experience in subsurface imaging and monitoring. His recent research has focused on geohazard characterisation, landslide early warning and the development of innovative technologies for assessing environmental impacts on critical infrastructure, including risks associated with cascading hazards. He has a strong focus on innovation and the translation of research findings into tangible benefits for stakeholders in industry, academia and government.
Jonathan currently leads the BGS Shallow Geohazards and Earth Observation capability, which comprises the geodesy and remote sensing, engineering geology, environmental and engineering geophysics and coasts and estuaries teams, as well as the BGS Research and Development Workshop Facility. He is also a UKRI Individual Merit Promotion scientist.
I am delighted to be taking on the role of BGS Chief Scientist for multi-hazards and resilience. BGS has a crucial role to play in the efforts to enhance societal resilience to geohazards and multi-hazards in the UK and internationally. I am very excited for this new opportunity to work with my colleagues and partners to deliver cutting-edge research, real-world solutions and geoscientific knowledge to support policy and decision makers for the wider public good.
Prof Jonathan Chambers.
On behalf of BGS and the BGS Board, we are thrilled to welcome Jonathan into this important role. His proven track record in shallow hazards research and his expertise in providing solutions for societal resilience to geohazards and multi-hazards in the UK and internationally will be paramount in supporting and delivering the BGS Strategy and Business Plan.
Dr Karen Hanghøj, BGS Director.
Relative topics
Related news

Why do we store geological core?
11/09/2025
With space at a premium and the advance of new digitisation techniques, why does retaining over 600 km of physical specimens remain of national importance?

PhD adventures in the Philippines: coring around Lake Bulusan
05/09/2025
Chris Bengt recounts his two-week field trip to Bulusan Volcano Natural Park in the Philippines to collect lake sediment cores, fresh soil and water samples.

New seabed sediment maps reveal what lies beneath the waves
03/09/2025
Marine ecosystem science and offshore infrastructure will be boosted by a new dataset showing sediment composition across the UK continental shelf.

New geological ‘pathways’ discovered beneath Welsh capital
02/09/2025
Scientists have discovered cavities in the clay underneath Cardiff, which will influence the siting of future geothermal developments.

BGS artificial ground data: what do you need from a geological survey?
28/08/2025
BGS is seeking user feedback on artificial ground data: how you use it, what information you consider, and what we can do to improve our offering.

New research published on brownfield land
27/08/2025
National Brownfield Forum research on the interactions of policies affecting the planning and development of brownfield land has been published.

Join our consortium – de-risking underground thermal energy storage
25/08/2025
BGS is inviting interested parties to investigate how site-scale geological data can be used to optimise thermal storage scheme performance.

Dr Kathryn Goodenough appointed as honorary professor by the University of Aberdeen
25/08/2025
Dr Goodenough will take up the position within the School of Geosciences with a focus on critical minerals and the energy transition.

Gemini: a new stable isotope tool
21/08/2025
BGS’s Stable Isotope Facility has new mass spectrometer equipment for analysing carbon and oxygen isotopes from carbonates and water.

BGS scientists work with United Nations to update hazard profiles
21/08/2025
From tsunamis to sinkholes, the profiles provide a standardised, internationally agreed definition of hazards to support disaster risk management worldwide.

Scientists uncover secrets of Stonehenge’s mysterious cattle
20/08/2025
Cutting-edge analysis of a Neolithic cow tooth dating back to the construction of the famous landmark provides evidence of Welsh origins.

New study reveals geological facility’s value to UK economy
19/08/2025
For the first time, an economic valuation report has brought into focus the scale of the National Geological Repository’s impact on major infrastructure projects.