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CatherinePennington

Catherine Pennington

Engineering geologist, landslide specialist
51ΑΤΖζ Keyworth
Contact

I am an engineering geologist and landslide specialist in the BGS Multi-Hazards and Resilience team. I am particularly interested in the use of different technologies and data streams to obtain information about landslides and other hazards in real time and at all spatial scales to advance landslide process understanding, situational awareness and model validation. I work in multidisciplinary, collaborative teams exploring innovative technologies, such as Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, to monitor individual landslides as they move. At the global scale, I work with partners to extract relevant, real-time hazard information from social media and the news.

I have worked on a range of other projects that have typically involved both leading and working on office- and field-based campaigns both inland and at the coast. These include the National Landslide Database, regional landslide mapping surveys and various commercial projects providing bespoke assessments to national organisations. I am also part of the team that issues Daily Landslide Hazard Assessments for the Natural Hazards Partnership in the UK.

Please see the publications tab for references. In addition to this, I have an interest in science communication projects and have published over 85 web pages, blog posts and other popular and educational articles to date. I also maintain the social media communication channels the BGS Landslides Team uses for research:Μύ²Ή²Τ»εΜύ.

Catherine Pennington’s biography

  • 2024 to present:HazTags, leading collaboration in online monitoring of global natural hazards in real time
  • 2001 to present: Engineering geologist and landslides specialist, 51ΑΤΖζ
  • 2023 to 2024:
  • 2022 to present: leading the development of global scale, real-time landslide data acquisition from social sensors
  • 2022 to present: task lead in the use of Internet of Things (IoT) technology for monitoring coastal landslides for
  • 2012 to present: Daily Hazard Assessments for the potential for landslides to occur in the UK for the Natural Hazards Partnership in association with the Met Office
  • 2021 to 2022: Co-I WPX 5G RuralDorset Coastal landslide monitoring for process understanding using NB-IoT technology
  • 2018 to 2023: Project lead for BGS Coastal Landslide Observatory
  • 2014 to 2019: Science writer/editor for BGS Blog,
  • 2010 to 2011: Project lead for Regional Landslide Assessment for North York Moors
  • 2006 to 2015: Deputy project lead for BGS Landslides Project
  • 2003 to 2015: Project leader for the BGS National Landslide Database and GIS of Great Britain
  • 2003 to 2004: Project lead for an assessment of the geotechnical properties for the Thames Flood Defences
  • 2000 to 2001: Geotechnical engineer, Hyder Consulting Ltd and WS Atkins
  • Fellow of the Geological Society of London

Research interests

  • HazTags: global scale, real-time hazard data acquisition from social sensors: online monitoring from social media and the news
  • Long-term monitoring of landslides, coastal landslide observatories: advancing long-term landslide process understanding using a range of technologies (including the Internet of Things) and multi- and interdisciplinary expertise
  • Providing Daily Landslide Hazard Assessments for the : scientific information and advice on landslides for civil contingencies
  • °Υ³σ±πΜύNational Landslide Databaseand GIS of Great Britain, which documents details on over 17,000 landslides and is the backbone to a variety of nationally and commercially important landslide susceptibility projects
  • National landslide susceptibility mapping and modelling
  • Science communication: understanding how we communicate science in different media and what we can learn from the arts
  • Field expertise on the Dorset, Isle of Wight, Kent, East Anglian and Yorkshire Coasts, North York Moors, Pennines: field mapping of landslides and interpreting landslide processes in the coastal zone (see publications)

ORCID:

Key papers

  • Wignall, L F, Pringle, A W, Ilic, S, Pennington C V L, Kirkham, M P, and Jones, L D. 2025. ,ΜύEarth Surface Processes and Landforms, Vol 50, Issue 9.
  • Pennington, C V L, Shaw, M, Brooks, T, Briganti, R, GΓ³mez-Pazo, A, Ruffini, G, Appleton, M, and Payo, A. 2024. . Nature Scientific Data, Vol 11, 846. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-03499-3
  • Novellino, A, Pennington, C V L, Leeming, K, Taylor, S, Gonzalez Alvareza, I, McAllister, E, Arnhardt, C, and Winson, A. 2024. . Landslides, Vol. 21, 1041–1052. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-024-02215-x
  • Pennington, C V L, Bossu, R, Ofli, F, Imran, M, Qazi, U W, Roch, J and Banks, V. 2022. . International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Vol. 77, 103089. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.103089
  • Pennington, C V L, Bossu, R, Ofli, F, Imran, M, Qazi, U, Roch, J, and Banks, V. 2022. . EGU General Assembly 2022 (EGU22-9752), Vienna, Austria, 23–27 May 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-9752
  • Ofli, F, Imran, M, Qazi, U, Roch, J, Pennington, C V L, Banks, V, and Bossu, R. 2022. . The Thirty-Fourth Annual Conference on Innovative Applications of Artificial Intelligence (IAAI-22), February 24–26, 2022, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
  • Bee, E, Pennington, C V L, and Dashwood, C. 2022. User guide: Debris Flow Susceptibility Model for Great Britain (version 6.1). 51ΑΤΖζ Open Report OR/22/023.
  • Bee, E, Dashwood, C, Pennington, C V L, Ciurean, R. and Williams, C. 2022. Methodology Report: BGS Debris Flow Susceptibility Model for Great Britain (version 6.1). 51ΑΤΖζ Internal ReportΜύ±υΈι/22/013.
  • Payo, A, and Pennington, C V L. 2021. . Nottingham, UK, 51ΑΤΖζ, 50pp. (OR/20/062)
  • Karunarathne, S M, Dray, M, Popov, L, Butler, M, Pennington, C V L, and Angelopoulos, C M. 2020. . Computer Communications, 154, pp298-312.
  • Pennington, C V L, Hobbs, P R N, Jones, L D, and Kirkham, M P. 2020. Measuring coastal retreat: A case study from Holderness. Geography Review, 33, pp16-21.
  • Parry, S, Barker, L, Sefton, C, Hannaford, J, Turner, S, Muchan, K, Matthews, B, and Pennington, C V L. 2020. . Wallingford, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, 8pp.
  • Hobbs, P R N, Jones, L D, Kirkham, M P, Pennington, C V L, Morgan, D J R, and Dashwood, C. 2019. . Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology.
  • Hobbs, P R N, Jones, L D, Kirkham, M P, Holyoake, S J, Pennington, C V L, Dashwood, C, Banks, V, and Reeves, H J. 2019. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology.
  • Bee, E, Dashwood, C, and Pennington, C V L. 2018. , Open Report OR/17/031.
  • Dijkstra, T A, Reeves, H J, Freeborough, K A, Dashwood, C, Pennington, C V L, Jordan, H M, Hobbs, P R N, Richardson, J, Banks, V, Cole, S, Wells, S, and Moore, R. 2017. , Geophysical Research Abstracts, 19., EGU2017
  • Dashwood, C, Pennington, C V L, Bee, E J, Freeborough, K A, and Dijkstra, T A. 2017. . World Landslide Forum 4, 29 May-2 June 2017, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
  • Pennington, C V L, Freeborough, K A, Dashwood, C, Dijkstra, T A, and Lawrie, K. 2015. . Geomorphology 249, pp44-51.
  • Boon, D P, Chambers, J E, Hobbs, P R N, Kirkham, M, Merrit, A J, Dashwood, C, Pennington, C V L, and Wilby, P R. 2015. . Geomorphology, 248, pp296-310.
  • Pennington, C V L, Dijkstra, T A, Lark, M, Dashwood, C, Harrison, A M, Freeborough, K A, and Reeves, H J. 2014. In: Sassa, K. et al. (eds), Landslides Science for a Safer Geoenvironment Vol. 1. pp253-259. Third World Landslide Forum 2014, Beijing.
  • Gibson, A G, Culshaw, M G, Dashwood, C, and Pennington, C V L. 2013. . Landslides, 10(5), pp599-610.
  • Pennington, C V L, and Harrison, A M. 2013. , GeoScientist Magazine. 23(5), pp10-15.
  • Chambers, J, Meldrum, P, Gunn, D, Wilkinson, P, Merritt, A, Murphy, W, West, J, Kuras, O, Haslam, E, Hobbs, P, Pennington, C V L, and Munro, C. 2013. . In: Margottini, Claudio, (ed.) Landslide science and practice. Volume 2, early warning, instrumentation and monitoring. Springer, 289-294.
  • Foster, C, Reeves, H J, Pennington, C V L, Hobbs, P R N, Culshaw, M G, Plim, J, Smith, J T, MacCulloch, F, Queen, G, and Winter, M G. 2012. . In: Eberhart, E, (ed.) Landslides and Engineered Slopes: Protecting Society through Improved Understanding. CRC Press.
  • Foster, C, Pennington, C V L, Culshaw, M G, and Lawrie, K. 2012. . Environmental Earth Sciences, 66(3) pp941-953.
  • Evans, H, Pennington, C V L, Jordan, C, and Foster, C. 2012. Proceedings of the Second World Landslide Forum, Rome, Italy 3rd-9th October 2011. Springer-Verlag Special Issue.
  • Morgan, D, Pearson, S, Pennington, C V L, and Evans, H. 2011. . 51ΑΤΖζ, 12pp. (OR/09/012).
  • Yuangdetkla, K, Gibson, A, Whitworth, M, Foster, C, Entwisle, D, and Pennington, C V L. 2011. Distribution of landslides and geotechnical properties within the Hampshire Basin. In: 5th Canadian Conference on Geotechnique and Natural Hazards, Kelowna, Canada, 15-17 May 2011.
  • Pennington, C V L, Foster, C, Chambers, J E, and Jenkins, G O. 2009. . Acta geologica sinica English edition, 83(5). pp991-999.
  • Pennington, C V L. 2009. . 51ΑΤΖζ website.
  • Pennington, C V L, Evans, H, and Foster, C. 2009. , Geological Sheet 112. 51ΑΤΖζ Open Report, OR/09/022.
  • Hobbs, P R N, Pennington, C V L, Pearson, S G, Jones, L D, Foster, C, Lee, J R, and Gibson, A. 2008. Nottingham, UK, 51ΑΤΖζ, 166pp. (OR/08/018).
  • Foster, C, Poulton, C V L, and Harrison, M. 2008. . In: AGI Geocommunity 08: shaping a changing world, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK, 24-25 Sept 08
  • Poulton, C V L, Lee, J R, Jones, L D, Hobbs, P R N, and Hall, M. 2006. . Bulletin of the Geological Society of Norfolk, Vol. 56, 45-65.
  • Poulton, C, Hobbs, P, and Jones, L. 2004. , Planet Earth, NERC.

Blog posts

  • Pennington, C V L. 2019. on the Holderness Coast, UK
  • Pennington, C V L. 2018. also guest post on
  • Pennington, C V L. 2018.
  • Pennington, C V L. 2018. .
  • Pennington, C V L. 2018
  • Pennington, C V L. 2018.
  • Pennington, C V L. 2017.
  • Pennington, C V L. 2017.
  • Pennington, C V L. 2017.
  • Pennington, C V L. 2016. .
  • Pennington, C V L. 2015.
  • Pennington, C V L. 2015.
  • Pennington, C V L. 2014.
  • Pennington, C V L. 2014.
  • Pennington, C V L. 2014.
  • Pennington, C V L. 2014.

Skills

  • Engineering geologist
  • Landslide processes and mapping expertise
  • Coastal landslide processes
  • Field expertise: landslide mapping, geological mapping, digital data capture, terrestrial LIDAR
  • 51ΑΤΖζ National Landslide Database

Qualifications

  • 2020: freelance and feature writing diploma awarded with distinction, London School of Journalism
  • 1999 to 2000: MSc advanced engineering geology awarded with distinction, Durham University
  • 1996 to 1999: BSc geology, University of Wales, Aberystwyth

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