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Biography

Tom was awarded his PhD in glacier-climate interactions by Loughborough University in 2013. He has since held lecturing positions in Maynooth University (Ireland), John Moores University, and Loughborough University. He arrived at King's College London in late 2021.  

Note: Dr Tom Matthews is not recruiting for expedition members. Please beware of scam emails claiming otherwise.

Research

  • Glacier-climate interactions, specialising in the numerical modelling of glacier melt
  • Measuring the planet's most extreme weather
  • The physical drivers of weather and climate extremes (heatwaves, tropical/extra-tropical cyclones)
  • Compound weather and climate extremes
  • Climate change projections and impacts 

Tom's research focuses on environments and events that are meteorologically extreme. The former has seen him work extensively in mountain regions, including in the Himalaya where he co-led installation of the highest-altitude weather stations in the world on Mt. Everest. For the latter, Tom has led research on severe extra-tropical cyclones and compound events, but he specialises in extreme humid heat events, including their drivers and projected changes under climate warming. 

Teaching

Undergraduate

6SSG3070 Global Climate Change: The past, present & future

5SSG2051 Climate Variability, Change And Society

4SSG1011 Principles of Geographical Inquiry

Postgraduate

7SSG5031 Modelling Environmental Change

7SSG5176 Fundamentals of Climate Change 

PhD supervision

Projects areas Tom is happy to supervise:

  • Projections of future glacier extent in High Mountain Asia under climate warming
  • Hydroclimatic extremes in High Mountain Asia
  • The physical drivers of extreme heat events
  • Compound heat/tropical cyclone events

Ongoing PhD supervision:

  • Benjamin Graves (Glacier and hydrological response to climate change in the Khumbu Valley, Nepal)
  • Megan James
  • Yue Meng (Aerosol-modulated heatwaves in South Asia)

Further details

See Tom's research profile