The Department of Geography is involved in research on a wide range of problems concerned with the patterns and interactions of physical and human elements in the earth system. Areas of emphasis include: late-glacial and recent environmental change in northeastern Canada; wildlife and fisheries habitat studies; environmental and social impact studies relating to resources; exploration, migration, and settlement; cultural and social landscapes; and new approaches to quantitative spatial analysis. Common to all of this research is the analysis and presentation of spatially arranged data. The department has state-of-the-art facilities and support for geographical research and applications in its remote sensing and geographical information systems laboratory (GEOIDAL), and cartographic design and production facility (MUNCL).
BANFIELD, Colin E. Associate professor
Keywords
• Climate; Newfoundland
Current research
• Spatial precipitation patterns, Avalon Peninsula
• Spacial and temporal climate patterns, Gros Morne National
Park
• Microclimate of burned and control sites, western Newfoundland
model forest
Past research
• Historical climate record for Newfoundland and Labrador
BATH, Alistair Assistant professor
Keywords
• Resource management; human dimensions in wildlife resources;
public involvement in resource management decision-making; national
park management issues; large carnivore-human conflicts
Current research
• Large carnivore initiative, Europe
• Large herbivore initiative, Europe
• Human dimensions in wolf management, Croatia and Spain
• Human dimensions in wolf and lynx management, Poland
• Human dimensions in bear management, Slovenia
• Importance of nature for Canadians
• Attitudes toward wolves and wolf management, Portugal
• Park management decision-making and local communities in
Gros Morne National Park
Past research
• Visitor attitudes toward fire and fire management in
Yellowstone National Park
• Wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park
• Large carnivore conservation management
• Public attitudes toward polar bears and a proposed national
park in Churchill, Manitoba
• Recreational use of forest lands in the western Newfoundland
model forest
• Addressing water quality issues in St. John's, Harbour-Atlantic
Coastal Action Program
Potential research
• Human dimensions in wolf management, southern France
• Human dimensions in large herbivore management, Europe,
Central Asia and Russia
• Understanding issues in cheetah management, Nambia
BELL, Trevor Associate professor
Keywords
• Geomorphology; environmental change; sea-level history;
glacial environments
Current research
• Postglacial sea level history, Newfoundland and Labrador
• Integrating archaeology and sea level history, Newfoundland
and Labrador
• Late Quaternary history of Western Newfoundland and southern
Labrador
Past research
• Quaternary mapping in northern Labrador using RADARSAT
imagery
• Mapping and monitoring the extent of invasive plants in
Gros Morne National Park
BUTLER, Karyn Associate professor
Keywords
• Teaching; plant distributions
Current research
• Improving freshman teaching
• Orientation methods for first year students
• Distance education methods for teaching introductory geography
Potential research
• Ruderal vegetation in Newfoundland
CATTO, Norm R. Associate professor
Keywords
• Quaternary; geomorphology; coastal evolution (oceans);
terrain analysis; paleoecology; glacial studies; sedimentology;
sea level changes; environmental change; environmental impact
assessment; natural hazards; rivers; sand dunes; natural landscapes;
climate-landform-landscape
Current research
• Glacial history and deposits, and the history of climate
change and landform response, Avalon Peninsula, Terra Nova, Bonavista
Bay, Burin Peninsula, Bay d'Espoir and central Newfoundland
• Coastal geomorphology of Newfoundland and sea-level changes
• Nature and formation of glacial, marine, river, and wind
deposits
• Aeolian sedimentology of coastal successions
• Preferred geomorphic environments of piping plovers
• Preferred geomorphic environments (river sunstrates) for
salmon, trout and eel
• Quaternary history of central and western Alberta and northeastern
British Columbia
• Sedimentology of parabolic and dome dunes, loess, and
brickearth
• Environmental impact of coastal management, waste disposal
problems
• Fluvial geomorphology and environmental management
of river channels and banks
• Quaternary research e.g., Russia, Sweden, New Mexico, Northern
Yukon, Sweden
• Geoarchaeology of western Canada
• Glacial deposits, landforms, coastal evolution, and level
history, Labrador
• Development and geomorphology of the Churchill River
Past research
• Quaternary of Northern Yukon
• Quaternary of Dalarna, Sweden
• Geoarcheaology of western Canada
Potential research
• Glacial deposits, landforms, coastal evolution, and
sea level history, Labrador
• Geoarchaeology, coastal Newfoundland and Labrador
Other research and consulting
• Editor, Quaternary International, the official journal
of the International Quaternary Association.
FARMER, Geoffrey Associate professor (retired)
Keywords
• Maritime; La Hogue; Gustaf Erikson; Manihamn; Devitt
and Moore
Research specialty
• Maritime ship research, focused on to specific shipping
companies
Current research
• The sailing ship La Hogue
• The Gustaf Erikson fleet, Marihamn, Aland Islands, Finland
• The Devitt and Moore Company
Past research
• Background for the above research
JACOBS, John D. Professor
Keywords
• Climatology; climate change; glaciology; arctic environments
Research specialty
• Climatology (climate change and impacts, hydroclimatology,
snow and ice, arctic and alpine environments)
Current research
• Recent climate changes at the margin of Barnes Ice
Cap, Baffin Island
• Hydroclimatology and chemistry of alpine snowcover, Gros
Morne National Park
• Climate variability and vegetation responses at treeline,
Gros Morne Natonal Park
• Interdisciplinary investigation of a seasonally, snow-covered
watershed, Salmonier Basin
Past research
• Environmental change in the interior lowlands of Baffin
Island, Nunavut
• Climate and caribou, Labrador and Baffin Island
• The influence of large arctic lakes on mesoclimate, Baffin
Island
LIVERMAN, David Adjunct professor
Keywords
• Glacial geology; geomorphology; coastal geomorphology
and natural hazards
Current research
• Sea-level change in Newfoundland
• Coastal and geological hazards
• Glacial dispersal of mineralized material
• Quaternary geology of Newfoundland
Past research
• Quaternary geology of north western Alberta
• Glaciolacustrine sedimentology
Potential research
• Sea-level change in eastern North America
MACPHERSON, Alan G. Professor emeritus
Keywords
• Historical geography; Newfoundland historical demography;
Newfoundland; Scottish Highlands emigration
Current research
• Biography of William Eppes Cormack, 1796 to1868
• Historical demography of St. John's, 1627 to1995
• Canadian place names
Past research
• Norse expansion across the Atlantic, 793 to1500
• Pre-Columbian exploration of North America
• Historical demography of Newfoundland
MANNION, John Professor
Keywords
• Irish; migrations; historical geography; Newfoundland;
settlement; fishery
Current research
• Irish migration and colonization, 1700 to 1800
• Disaffection and disloyalty
• Irish provisions trade
Past research
• Irish migrations, Newfoundland, 1675 to1850
• European cod fishery, 1500 to 1800
SANGER, Chesley Professor (retired) and Honorary Research
Professor
Keywords
• Historical geography; culture; marine resources
Current research
• Scottish Arctic whaling, 1750 to 1801
• Newfoundland, shore-based whale fishery
• Northern whaling: 18th- and 19th-centuries
Past research
• Newfoundland seal fishery: 19th- and 20th-centuries
Potential research
• Marine resource exploitation
SHARPE, Christopher Associate professor
Keywords
• Housing; suburbs; urban planning; producer services;
military geography
Current research
• Demand-side approach to the identification of producer
services
• Development of a Churchill Park Garden suburb in St. John's,
Newfoundland, 1945 to 1955
• Role of producer services in the St. John's Region
• Military enlistment patterns in Canada: 1939 to 1945
Past research
• Heritage conservation in St. John's, Newfoundland
• Municipal plan-making in St. John's, Newfoundland
• Regional enlistment patterns in Canada: 1914 to 1918
SHAWYER, A. J. Associate professor
Keywords
• Cultural landscapes; cultural geography
Current research
• Agricultural ethics, Cape Breton, N.S.
• Pre-park landscape of Churchill Park, St. John's, Nfld.
• Cultural interpretation of Pippy Park, St. John's, Nfld.
Past research
• History of agriculture in Newfoundland and Labrador
• Evolution of township landscapes, Ont.
• Farm families and farm change, England
• Evolution of an urban neighborhood, Ont.
Potential research
• History of agriculture in Newfoundland and Labrador
• Exploring ‘gardens', Nfld.
• Re-cycling landscapes, Nfld.
SIMMS, Elizabeth Associate professor
Keywords
• Remote sensing image analysis; coastal studies
Current research
• Satellite and airborne image analysis for kelp surveys
and coastal environment assessment
Past research
• Remote sensing, applied to Arctic environments
• Remote sensing, applied to salmon habitats
• Land cover mapping in coastal zones
STOREY, Keith Professor
Keywords
• Socio-economic impact assessment; resource development;
Newfoundland; oil and gas; mining; hydro
Current research
• Long-distance commuting impact of industrial closure
• Impacts of monitoring and management
Past research
• Long-distance commuting in mining, oil, and gas sectors
• Family life adaptations to offshore employment
• Socio-economic monitoring for impact management
Potential research
• Environmental protection planning
• Socio-economic audits of development projects
• Cumulative and strategic impact assessment
Other research and consulting
• Impact management, Hibernia and Terra Nova projects
• Public participation in the impact assessment process
• Assessment of the Voisey's Bay mining operations, Whiterose
offshore oil, and Lower Churchill hydro projects
WHITE, Roger Research professor
Keywords
• Cellular automata; urban system dynamics; simulation
of land-use change; integrated modeling
Current research
• Cellular modelling techniques for geographical systems
• Development of a generic land-use simulator for European
cities
• Development of a multi-scale, integrated model of spacial
dynamics for economic, demographic and land-use in the Netherlands
WOOD, Clifford Professor
Keywords
• Cartography; cartographic design and communication;
cartographic education
Current research
• Parallel line patterns: the perplexing characters of
map symbols
• Visual search strategies in map reading
• Large-scale mapping of archaeological sites, Nfld.
Past research
• Influence of figure and ground on visual scanning behaviour
in map reading
• Perceptual responses to line simplification in a map analysis
experiment
• The role of design in cartography
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