Richard Walker

Earth Scientist

Hi, I’m Richard and I am a geologist specialising in the study of earthquakes. I am originally from Yorkshire, and first came to Oxford as a student studying for a degree in Geology. I then moved on to further studies in Leeds and Cambridge before returning to Oxford in 2004, and I have been here since.

My first interest in the subject came from childhood fossil-hunting trips to the Yorkshire coast. I was fortunate that geology was offered as an A-level subject at my sixth-form college, which opened my eyes to the huge breadth of this amazing subject. There was no looking back after that choice! At university I became fascinated by mountains and the tectonic processes that create them, and chose a PhD project focussed on the earthquakes and mountain-building in Iran. Since then I have worked in many fascinating parts of the world where earthquakes occur, with long-term projects in places such as China, Mongolia, the Central Asia region, and the South Caucasus.

Over the years my work has shifted more and more towards efforts in building resilience to earthquake hazards, and I am working closely with colleagues in parts of Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America to help identify and mitigate hazards. You can learn more about the projects I am involved in through the following links, which include my blog, magazine and newspaper articles, and a podcast aimed at GCSE students:

Blog – Earthquakes in Central Asia

Earthquake Hazard in Asia: A Growing Problem – The Royal Society for Asian Affairs

Seismic Cities: Is Central Asia Prepared for a Major Earthquake? – The Times Of Central Asia

Multiple factors make Afghan communities vulnerable to earthquakes – Temblor.net

Expert comment: Professor Walker on the Morocco earthquake disaster | University of Oxford

Expert comment: Professor Walker on the Türkiye/Syria earthquake disaster | University of Oxford

S2E4 The collision boundary – Get it in 10 | Podcast on Spotify