Science and Engineering at The University of Edinburgh

Ian is a seismologist with a strong interest in the fundamental physical, mechanical, structural and hydraulic properties of rocks undergoing brittle deformation. In seismology he has worked on the nature of the earthquake source, the population dynamics of earthquakes as a complex non-linear system, and the practical applications of earthquake mechanics and global tectonics to calculations of seismic and volcanic hazard. In rock physics he has worked on the experimental determination of fluid-rock interactions such as sub-critical crack growth and the effect of fracturing on fluid flow and transport through porous media undergoing deformation.

He is currently co-director of the Edinburgh Collaborative of Subsurface Science and Engineering (ecosse), a joint research institute of the Edinburgh Regional Partnership in Engineering and Mathematics (ERPem) and a member of the Research Advisory Forum of the Scottish Energy Technology Partnership (ETP). He contributes to research in Geophysics, Rock Physics & Chemistry, and Earth Resources at the Grant Institute. He has served as Associate Editor with 'Geology', 'Journal of Geophysical Research', and 'Natural Hazards', a member of the International Seismological Centre governing council, and is currently a member of the International commission on earthquake forecasting for civil protection following the destructive earthquake in L'Aquila, Italy.

He gave the Bullerwell lecture in Geophysics in 1997, and moderated the Nature debate on earthquake prediction in 1999. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) in 2009, and will take up a full-time RSE research support fellowship in January 2010, funded by the Scottish Government.

For summary of 'Frontiers of Seismology', a recent meeting for the UK seismological community interested both in earthquakes and in exploration, hosted in Edinburgh, click here

Phone: +44 131 650 4911
Fax: +44 131 668 3184
Email: ian.main[at]ed.ac.uk