AN Aberystwyth professor has received a prestigious doctorate for his work on the slopes of the Cambrian Mountains.
Professor Tony Jones recently received the higher degree of Doctor of Science (ScD) from the University of Cambridge, awarded for distinguished contributions to hydrological theory and water resources.
Tony is emeritus professor in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences at Aberystwyth. His research in the Maesnant valley on the western slopes of Pumlumon proved that subsurface drainage processes can be as effective as surface processes in generating flood waters, and has been acknowledged in the British Hydrological Society’s history of hydrology website.
Tony said: “Most models of flood generation have been based on the idea that floods are fed by surface water: so-called ‘overland flow’.
“But do you ever see much overland flow? And certainly not covering the whole hillside, as was originally proposed. It used to be said that rainwater that has infiltrated the ground would drain too slowly to create a flood, but our Maesnant work proved otherwise.”
In the 1990s, Tony turned his attention to the possible effects of global warming on river flows, including two projects for Welsh Water. “Our models predicted wetter winters, drier summers and more extremes, with more severe floods, more severe droughts and lower river levels in summer, exactly what we are seeing now,” said Tony.
In 2002, Tony became the founding chairman of the International Geographical Union’s Commission for Water Sustainability and has worked on international water issues, including for Nato, Unesco, the UN and the International Science Council.
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