Research
CNDS is an interdisciplinary research centre that brings together researchers from engineering, social and earth sciences to work together on collaborative projects on natural hazards, socio-technological vulnerabilities, and societal security.
Our current research projects

ERC Project HydroSocialExtremes
Unraveling the mutual shaping of hydrological extremes and society

The Transformative Potential of Extreme Weather Events
Triggers for Disaster Risk Reduction and Development (TRAMPOLINE)

When it rains it pours
Biogeophysical drivers and societal responses to compound natural hazard events in Sweden
Research portrait: Taylor Witcher

PhD student at Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University
- What is your area of expertise?
I’m studying an interesting fracture system preserved in a shallow rhyolite magma chamber in eastern Iceland. This entails the combination of volcanology, rock mechanics, and ore geology. Extensive field work and lab experiments are where I’m happiest.
- What sparked your interest in Natural Hazards and Disaster Science?
Volcanoes have intrigued human kind since the beginning. I’m working with a team to better understand their plumbing systems. The idea is, we can project our findings from old extinct systems onto active volcanoes, and improve forecasting abilities to mitigate hazards from eruptions.
- If I could only work on one problem in Natural Hazards and Disaster Science it would be volcanic eruptions! Because of how important it is to be able to recognize the signals that say a volcano is going to erupt, and communicating to city officials to make the call to evacuate civilians.
- What book or paper has been most influential to your career and why?
The book “The man who found time” by Jack Repcheck has influenced me the most in my career. It’s about James Hutton, known as the Father of Geology, and how he used simple observations of natural processes around him to make the first claim that the Earth is much much older than what was accepted at the time (mid 1700s).
- What do you like to do when you’re not working on research?
When I’m not working, I like to play outside—hiking, biking, paddle-boarding, rock climbing, etc. I like to cook meals and host dinner parties, knit socks, draw and paint pictures and read good books.
- What is your golden tip for current early career scientists?