Adrian is an Environmental and Engineering Geophysicist at the British Geological Survey, based in Keyworth. He specialises in geophysical monitoring and characterisation of the unsaturated zone, flood defence deterioration, and soil-vegetation interactions related to slope stability, infrastructure resilience, and climate change adaptation.
Adrian holds an MEarthSci in Earth Sciences from the University of Oxford and completed a PhD in Geology at the University of Bristol in collaboration with BGS. His research integrates geophysical techniques and environmental sensor to assess environmental and engineering challenges.
Adrian White’s biography
- 2022 to present: Environmental and engineering geophysicist
- 2019 to 2025: PhD Geology, University of Bristol, British Geological Survey
- 2014 to 2018: MEarthSci Earth Sciences, University of Oxford
Research interests
- Unsaturated zone – characterisation and monitoring
- Flood defence deterioration and failure processes
- Soil-vegetation interactions: agriculture, sustainable urban drainage and slope stability
- Infrastructure resilience to climate change
- Human, natural environment, geology interactions
Projects
- Powderham Banks Improvement works – PRIME ERT monitoring of a 1.2 km long flood embankment for seepage and piping detection
- QuSIT – Quantum sensing, imaging and timing. Developing a new generation of quantum gravity and magnetic sensors
- ACHILLIES – Assessment of deterioration and performance of long linear earthen assets
ORCID: 0000-0003-3917-343
Key papers
- Murray, D, Stankovic, L, Stankovic, V, Pytharouli, S, White, A, Dashwood, B, and Chambers, J. 2025. Characterisation of precursory seismic activity towards early warning of landslides via semi-supervised learning. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 1026.
- White, A, Chambers, J, Briggs, K M, Blake, A P, Watlet, A, Stirling, R, Blake, A, Hughes, P, and Glendinning, S. 2024. Rapid condition assessment of earthwork assets. Ground Engineering, 28–33
- White, A, Boyd, J, Wilkinson, P, Unwin, H E, Wookey, J, Kendall, J M, Binley, A, and Chambers, J. 2024. Assessing the effect of offline topography on electrical resistivity measurements: insights from flood embankments. Geophysical Journal International
- Watlet, A, Wilkinson, P, Whiteley, J, White, A, Uhlemann, S, Swift, R, Ouellet, S, Minto, C, Meldrum, P, Jones, L, Gunn, D, Godfrey, A, Dashwood, B, Crickmore, R, Clarkson, P, Boyd, J, and Chambers, J. 2024. High-resolution geophysical monitoring of moisture accumulation preceding slope movement—a path to improved early warning. Environmental Research Letters , 19(12)
- White, A, Wilkinson, P, Boyd, J, Wookey, J, Kendall, J M, Binley, A, Grossey, T, and Chambers, J. 2023. Combined electrical resistivity tomography and ground penetrating radar to map Eurasian badger (Meles Meles) burrows in clay-rich flood embankments (levees). Engineering Geology, 323, 107198
- Levell, B, Searle, M, White, A, Kedar, L, Droste, H, and van Steenwinkel, M. 2021. Geological and seismic evidence for the tectonic evolution of the NE Oman continental margin and Gulf of Oman. Geosphere, 17(5), 1472–1493
Published outputs
- Geoscience fieldwork, over 200 days in field experience (Planning, risk assessing, leadership, & teamwork)
- Python programming (Data analysis, visualisation and automation)
- Geophysical processing and interpretation (Resipy, R2, R3t, SurfSeis, Res3dInv, ReflexW, GPRPy, Petrel, PyGIMLi)
- QGIS
- Visualisation – Paraview, Petrel, Adobe Illustrator.
- Public Engagement
- Field Geology and mapping
- CSCS AQP card
- First aider
- 2024: BGS PhD (BUFI) poster presentation award
- 2022 to present: European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE), Member
- 2021: AGU Outstanding Student Present Award – Near Surface Geophysics Category
- 2021: The Geological Society – Near Surace Geophysics Group – Post Graduate Fieldwork Grant