UC Spark

Dr Thomas McDonald Wilson

Geological Sciences

Fields of Research

  • Volcanic Hazard and Risk Assessment
  • Societal Impact of Natural Disasters
  • Hazard and Disaster Management
  • Risk Management and Risk Communication
  • Mass Evacuation and Natural Disasters

Researcher Summary

Natural hazard and risk assessment, with special interest in volcanic eruptions. Impacts of natural hazards to critical infrastructure and primary industries - including development of innovative methods to analysis vulnerability to volcanic ash fall. Community resilience to natural hazards. Evacuation and loss modelling using geospatial platforms (GIS).

Subject Area: Disciplines

Research Groups

Future Research

  • Impact of Natural Disasters to Critical Infrastructure, Primary Industries and Communities - with emphasis on volcanic hazards
  • Development of "Pseudo Ash" for laboratory testing of critical infrastructure components
  • Agricultural recovery following varying thicknesses of ashfall
  • Impact of ashfall on electrical transmission systems
  • Community recovery following natural disasters - with emphasis on rural communities in the Canterbury region, New Zealand

Key Methodologies

  • GIS for various research needs - including natural hazard loss and risk assessment, and evacuation modelling
  • Sedimentology - including laser grainsize analyser
  • Quantitative and qualitative social science data collection techniques
  • Engineering laboratory testing/techniques
  • Statistical analysis of natural hazard and vulnerability data
  • Environmental chemistry techniques - emphasis on soil and water enrichment by volcanic ash leachate

Affiliations

Prizes and Awards

  • University of Canterbury Postgraduate Dean's List, 2009 (2009)

Publications


Journal Article
  • Sword-Daniels, V., Wilson, T.M., Sargeant, S., Rossetto, T., Twigg, J., Johnston, D.M., Loughlin, S.C. and Cole, P.D. (2013) Consequences of long-term volcanic activity for essential services in Montserrat: challenges, adaptations and resilience. Memoir of the Geological Society of London pecial volume ''The Eruption of Soufriere Hills Vo(in press)
  • Wardman, J.B., Wilson, T.M., Bodger, P.S., Cole, J.W. and Johnston, D.M. (2012) Investigating the electrical conductivity of volcanic ash and its effect on HV power systems. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C 45-46: 128-145. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2011.09.003.
  • Wardman, J.B., Wilson, T.M., Bodger, P.S., Cole, J.W. and Stewart, C. (2012) Potential impacts from tephra fall to electric power systems: A review and mitigation strategies. Bulletin of Volcanology 74(10): 2221-2241. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00445-012-0664-3.
  • Wilson, T., Cole, J., Johnston, D., Cronin, S., Stewart, C. and Dantas, A. (2012) Short- and long-term evacuation of people and livestock during a volcanic crisis: lessons from the 1991 eruption of Volcán Hudson, Chile. Journal of Applied Volcanology 1(2) http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/2191-5040-1-2.
  • Wilson, T.M., Stewart, C., Sword-Daniels, V., Leonard, G.S., Johnston, D.M., Cole, J.W., Wardman, J., Wilson, G. and Barnard, S.T. (2012) Volcanic ash impacts on critical infrastructure. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C 45-46: 5-23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2011.06.006.
  • Wilson, T.M., Cole, J.W., Stewart, C., Cronin, S.J. and Johnston, D.M. (2011) Ash Storms: impacts of wind-remobilised volcanic ash on rural communities and agriculture following the 1991 Hudson eruption, southern Patagonia, Chile. Bulletin of Volcanology 73(3): 223-239. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00445-010-0396-1.
  • Wilson, T., Cole, J., Cronin, S., Stewart, C. and Johnston, D. (2011) Impacts on agriculture following the 1991 eruption of Vulcan Hudson, Patagonia: lessons for recovery. Natural Hazards 57(2): 185-212. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11069-010-9604-8.
  • Giovinazzi, S., Wilson, T.M., Davis, C., Bristow, D., Gallagher, M., Schofield, A., Villemure, M., Eidinger, J. and Tang, A. (2011) Lifelines Performance and Management following the 22 February 2011 Christchurch Earthquake, New Zealand: Highlights of Resilience. Bulletin of the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering 44(4): 404-419.
  • Stevenson, J.R., Kachali, H., Whitman, Z., Seville, E., Vargo, J. and Wilson, T.M. (2011) Preliminary Observations of the Impacts the 22 Feb Christchurch Earthquake is having on Organisations and the Economy. Bulletin of the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering 44(2): 65-76.
  • Almond, A. Wilson., T.M., Shanhun., F., Whitman., Z., Eger., A., Moot., D., Cockcroft., M., Nobes. and D.C. (2010) Agricultural Land Rehabilitation following the 2010 Darfield (Canterbury) Earthquake: A Preliminary Report. Bulletin of the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering 43(4): 432-438.
  • Houghton, R.M.E., Wilson, T.M., Smith, W. and Johnston, D.M. (2010) 'If there was a dire emergency, we never would have been able to get in there...': Domestic violence following the June 2006 snow storm in Canterbury, New Zealand. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters 28(2): 270-293.
  • Wilson, T., Stewart, C., Cole, J., Johnston, D. and Cronin, S. (2010) Vulnerability of agricultural water supplies to volcanic ash fall. Environmental Earth Science 61(4): 675-688. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12665-009-0380-2.
  • Stewart, C., Pizzolon, L., Wilson, T.M., Leonard, G.S., Dewar, D., Johnston, D.M. and Cronin, S.J. (2009) Can volcanic ash poison water supplies? Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 5(4): 713-716.
  • Wilson, T., Dantas, A. and Cole, J. (2009) Modelling livestock evacuation following a volcanic eruption: an example from Taranaki volcano, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 52(1): 99-110. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00288230909510493.
  • Wilson, T.M. and Cole, J.W. (2007) Potential impacts of ash eruptions on dairy farms from a study of the effects on a farm in eastern Bay of Plenty, New Zealand; implications for hazard analysis. Natural Hazards 43(1): 103-128. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11069-007-9111-8.
Thesis - Doctor of Philosophy
  • Wilson, T.M. (2009) Vulnerability of Pastoral Farm Systems to Volcanic Ashfall Hazards. PhD, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Report for External Body
  • Wilson, T.M., Stewart, C., Bickerton, H., Baxter, P.J., Outes, V., Villarosa, G. and Rovere, E. (2012) Impacts of the June 2011 Puyehue Cordon-Caulle volcanic complex eruption on urban infrastructure, agriculture and public health. GNS Science. 88pp.
  • Giovinazzi, S. and Wilson, T.M. (2012) National and International Know-how and Linkages to support the Recovery of Lifelines following the Canterbury (NZ) Earthquake sequence 2010-2011. "Recovery of Lifelines" NHRP Short-Term Project 43. Final Report. Natural Hazard Research Platform. 30pp.
  • Sword-Daniels, V., Wardman, J., Stewart, C., Wilson, T.M., Johnston, D.M. and Rossetto, T. (2011) Infrastructure impacts, management and adaptations to eruptions at Volcán Tungurahua, Ecuador, 1999-2010. GNS Science. 68pp.
  • Johnston, D., Becker, J., Jolly, G., Potter, S., Wilson, T., Stewart, C. and Cronin, S. (2011) Volcanic hazards management at Taranaki volcano: Information source book. Taranaki Regional Council. 108pp.
  • Kachali, H., Stevenson, J.R., Whitman, Z., Seville, E., Vargo, J. and Wilson, T. (2010) Preliminary results from the organisational resilience and recovery study, December 2010. Resilient Organisations. 10pp.
  • Wilson, T.M., Daly, M. and Johnston, D.M. (2009) AELG 19 - Review of Impacts of Volcanic Ash Impacts to Electricity Distribution Systems, Broadcasting and Telecommunications. Auckland Engineering Lifelines Group. Auckland Regional Council Technical Publication No.051. 79pp.
  • Wilson, T.M., Johnston, D.M., Paton, D. and Houghton, R. (2009) Impacts and Emergency Response to the 12 June 2006 South Island Snowstorm: Tabulated Results of a Survey of Responding Organisations in the Canterbury Region. Canterbury Emergency Management Office on behalf of Canterbury Civil Defence and Emergency Managemen. 67pp.
  • Wilson, T.M., Stewart, C., Cole, J.W., Dewar, D.J., Johnston, D.M. and Cronin, S.J. (2009) The 1991 eruption of Volcán Hudson, Chile: Impacts on agriculture and rural communities and long-term recovery. GNS Science Report 2009/66. 100pp.
  • Wilson, T.M., Stewart, C., Cole, J.W., Johnston, D.M. and Cronin, S.J. (2009) Vulnerability of farm water supplies to volcanic ash. GNS Science Report 2009/01. Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited. 122pp.
  • Wilson, T.M. and Kaye, G.D. (2007) Agricultural fragility estimates for volcanic ash fall hazards. GNS Science Report 2007/37. 51pp.
  • Stewart, C., Wilson, T.M., Becker, J.S., Davies, A., Coomer, M. and Hume, T. (2007) Coastal management in the Waikato Region: A study of the views of Coromandel beachgoers on coastal erosion and its management - January 2007. GNS Science Report 2007/21. 120pp.
  • Wilson, T. (2007) Exposure of the Dairy Industry to Volcanic Hazards in New Zealand. Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Policy). 78pp.
  • Wilson, T., Kaye, G., Stewart, C. and Cole, J. (2007) Impacts of the 2006 eruption of Merapi volcano, Indonesia, on agriculture and infrastructure. GNS Science Report 2007/07. 69pp.
  • Seville, E. and Wilson, T.M. (2006) National Hazardscape Report: Development of a National Hazard and Risk Indicator Framework. Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management. 88pp.
Other
  • Leonard, G. and Wilson, T. M. (2010) Impact of Volcanic Ash on Infrastructure and Communities.
Conference Contribution - Oral presentation
  • Bickerton, H., Wilson, T., Stewart, C., Oze, C., Gaw, S., Outes, V., Villarosa, G., Baxter, P. and Rovere, E. (2012) Tephra impacts on agriculture following the 2011 Puyehue-Cordón Caulle eruption. Colima, Mexico: 7th Cities on Volcanoes, 19-23 Nov 2012.
  • Cole, J., Oze, C., Scott, A., Wilson, T., Stewart, C., Li, Z., Broom, S. and Wilson, G. (2011) Effects of volcanic ashfall on roofs. Nelson, New Zealand: Geoscience Society of New Zealand 2011 Conference, 27 Nov-1 Dec 2011. In Geoscience Society of New Zealand Miscellaneous Publication 130A 26.
  • Wardman, J., Wilson, T.M., Bodger, P., Cole, J.W. and Johnston, D.M. (2011) Quantifying the vulnerability of HV transmission systems to volcanic ash fall hazards. Auckland, New Zealand: DEVORA/Volcanic Impact Study Group Annual Seminar, 11 Nov 2011.
  • Quigley, M. and Wilson, T.M. (2011) Standing Strong on Shaking Ground: Being a local earth scientist during a prolonged natural disaster (Canterbury earthquake sequence, 2010-2011). Melbourne, Australia: Workshop: Greatest Natural Disasters of our Time (IUGG Conference), 27 Jun 2011.
  • Johnston, D.M., Beaven, S. and Wilson, T.M. (2011) Where have all the students gone? Student movements following the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes. Auckland, New Zealand: Population Association of New Zealand 2011 Conference (PANZ 2011), 28-29 Nov 2011.
  • Sword-Daniels, V., Rossetto, T., Johnston, D., Wilson, T., Loughlin, S., Sargeant, S. and Twigg, J. (2010) Ash fall impacts: the consequences of eruptions, standardisation of data gathering for risk assessment, and the need for holistic mitigation solutions. Moscow, Russia: ISTC "Worldwide warning system of volcanic activities and mitigation of the global/regional consequences of volcanic eruptions", 8-9 Jul 2010.
  • Wilson, T., Smith, W., Johnston, D., Langer, L., Becker, J., Whitman, Z. and Houghton, R. (2010) Rural community recovery from natural hazards, making the link. Christchurch, New Zealand: New Zealand Rural Fire Research Workshop 2010, 8-9 Dec 2010.
Conference Contribution - Poster presentation
  • Villemure, M., Wilson, T.M., Bristow, D., Gallagher, M., Giovinazzi, S. and Brown, C. (2012) Fine Grained Sediment Clean up in Urban Environments following a Disaster. University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand: 6th Australasian Natural Hazards Management Conference, 21-22 Aug 2012.
  • Bastin, S., Bassett, K., Quigley, M. and Wilson, T.M. (2012) Liquefaction in Christchurch during the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence and evidence for paleo-liquefaction. University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand: 6th Australasian Natural Hazards Management Conference, 21-22 Aug 2012.
  • Sword-Daniels, V., Rossetto, T., Twigg, J., Wilson, T.M., Johnston, D.M., Sargeant, S., Loughlin, S.C. and Cole, P. (2012) Living with Volcanic Hazards: The vulnerability and resilience of essential services to intermittent volcanic ashfalls in Montserrat, West Indies. University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand: 6th Australasian Natural Hazards Management Conference, 21-22 Aug 2012.
  • Kritikos, T., Davies, T.R. and Wilson, T.M. (2012) Multi-hazard assessment in tectonically active mountain fronts using tectonic geomorphology and GIS: Application to western Southern Alps of New Zealand. University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand: 6th Australasian Natural Hazards Management Conference, 21-22 Aug 2012.
  • Daly, M., Johnston, D., Jolly, G., Wilson, T.M., Stewart, C., Cronin, S., Lindsay, J., Smith, I., Halliwell, P., Holland, G. and Cowan, H. (2012) Volcanic Impacts Study Group: Working with utility infrastructure organisations to improve understanding of volcanic ash impacts. Brisbane, Australia: 34th International Geological Congress (IGC), 5-10 Aug 2012.
  • Oates, K., Pinkey-Drobnis, A., Reeves, J., Wilson, T.M. and Gravley, D.M. (2011) Getting the Message Right: A Measure of How Well the Media Educated the Public on Geoscience during the 2010 -2011 Earthquake Sequence in Christchurch, New Zealand. Minneapolis, MN, USA: Geological Society of America (GSA) Annual Meeting, 9-12 Oct 2011.
  • Hampton, S., Cole, J., Wilson, G. and Wilson T. (2011) Performance of guttering under ash loading: Volcanic Ash Testing (VAT) Facility. Nelson, New Zealand: Geoscience Society of New Zealand 2011 Conference, 27 Nov-1 Dec 2011. In Geoscience Society of New Zealand Miscellaneous Publication 130A 44-45.
  • Dohaney, J.A., Kennedy, B., Brogt, E., Gravley, D., Wilson, T. and O'Steen, B. (2011) The Volcanic Hazards Simulation: Students behaving expert-like when faced with challenging, authentic tasks during a simulated Volcanic Crisis. San Francisco, CA, USA: American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting, 5-9 Dec 2011.
  • Wilson, T. (2010) Rehabilitation of pasture following a large volcanic eruption. Tenerife, Canary Island, Spain: 2010 Cities on Volcanoes Conference, 31 May-4 Jun 2010.
Additional Publications
  • Wilson, T.M. and Stewart, C. (2013) Volcanic ash. In P. Bobrowsky (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards: 1000. United States: Springer.
  • Giovinazzi, S. and Wilson, T.M. (2012) "Recovery of Lifelines" following the 22nd February 2011 Christchurch Earthquake: Successes and issues. University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand: New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering: 2012 Annual Technical Conference (NZSEE), 13-15 Apr 2012. http://www.nzsee.org.nz/db/2012/Paper090.pdf.
  • Nobes, D.C., Wilson, T.M., Cockcroft, M., Almond, P. and Whitman, Z. (2012) Agricultural ground penetrating radar response to deep cultivation across a fault scarp after the 4 September 2010 Darfield earthquake, Canterbury, New Zealand. Shanghai, China: 14th International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR2012), 4-8 Jun 2012. In Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), 2012 14th International Conference on 769-773. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/ICGPR.2012.6254965.
  • Villemure, M., Wilson, T.M., Bristow, D., Gallagher, M., Giovinazzi, S. and Brown, C. (2012) Liquefaction ejecta clean-up in Christchurch during the 2010-2011 earthquake sequence. University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand: New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering: 2012 Annual Technical Conference (NZSEE), 13-15 Apr 2012. http://www.nzsee.org.nz/db/2012/Paper131.pdf.
  • Wilson, T.M., Stewart, C., Bickerton, H., Baxter, P.J., Outes, V., Villarosa, G. and Rovere, E. (2012) The health and environmental impacts of the June 2011 Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcanic complex eruption: A report on the findings of a multidisciplinary team investigation. GNS Science 2012/20. 99pp.
  • McIntosh, J.K., Jacques, C., Mitrani-Reiser, J., Kirsch, T.D., Giovinazzi, S. and Wilson, T.M. (2012) The Impact of the 22nd February 2011 Earthquake on Christchurch Hospital. University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand: New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering: 2012 Annual Technical Conference (NZSEE), 13-15 Apr 2012. http://www.nzsee.org.nz/db/2012/Paper124.pdf.
  • Ferreira, F., Taniguchi, E., Giovinazzi, S. and Wilson, T.M. (2011) 2011 Christchurch Earthquake: Event's Lifecycle Response and Critical Lifeline Systems Recovery. Gifu, Japan: 44th Conference of Infrastructure Planning (Autumn Meeting), 25-27 Nov 2011.
  • Johnston, D.M., Becker, J.S., Coomer, M., Cronin, S., Daly, M., Doyle, E., Glassey, S., Glavovic, B., Houghton, R., Hughes, M., Johal, S., Jolly, S., Leonard, G., Patterson, L., Peace, R., Saunders, W., Stuart, K., Tarrant, R., Taylor, H., de Terte, I., Timar, L., Tuohy, R., Wright, K., Paton, D., Reese, S., Ronan, K. and Wilson, T. (2011) Exploring elements of an effective recovery process. Auckland, New Zealand: 9th Pacific Conference on Earthquake Engineering, 14-16 Apr 2011. In PCEE 2011: Building an Earthquake-Resilient Society Paper 27. http://db.nzsee.org.nz/2011/027.pdf.
  • Cole, J.W., Oze, C., Scott, A., Stewart, C., Wilson, T.M., Li, Z., Podolsky, D., Wilson, G. and Hampton, S.J. (2011) Final Report on Eqc Research Contract 10/Sp607: 'A Quantitative Analysis of Volcanic Ash Damage to New Zealand Roof Structures And Materials'. Earthquake Commission. Earthquake Commission. 30pp.
  • Peters, M., Oze, C., Gaw, S. and Wilson, T. (2011) Temporal impacts of volcanic ash on freshwater systems. Nelson, New Zealand: Geoscience Society of New Zealand 2011 Conference, 27 Nov-1 Dec 2011. In Geoscience Society of New Zealand Miscellaneous Publication 130A 84.
  • Vargo, J., Seville E., Wilson T., Kachali H., Stevenson J.R. and Whitman Z. (2011) What a 7.1 magnitude earthquake can teach you about resilience and recovery. Toronto, Canada: World Conference on Disaster Management (WCDM), 19-22 Jun 2011.
  • Wardman, J.B., Wilson, T.M., Cole, J.W., Bodger, P.S., Johnston, D.M. and Daly, M. (2010) Quantifying the vulnerability of high voltage transmission systems to volcanic ashfall hazards. Auckland, New Zealand: 11th Congress of the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment, 5-10 Sep 2010. In Geologically Active: Proceedings of the 11th IAEG Congress 1493-1502.
  • Beaven, S., McIntosh, J., Morgan, J., Prouting, G., Ruegg, C., Wilson, T.M., Almond, P., Quigley, M., Furlong, K., Seville, E., Whitman, Z., Stevenson, J., Doyle, E. and Johnston, D.M. (2010) The Local Science Response to the 4 September, 2010, Canterbury Earthquake. Auckland, New Zealand: GeoNZ 2010, 21-24 Nov 2010. In Geoscience Society of New Zealand Miscellaneous Publication 129A 31.
  • Stewart, C., Wilson, T.M., Leonard, G.S., Johnston, D.M. and Cole, J.W. (2010) Volcanic Hazards and Water Shortages. In A.C. Briggs (Ed.), Water Shortages: Environmental, Economic and Social Impacts: 105-124. New York: Nova Publishing.