Events | Terrafirma IDC

UK Ground Hazards and Property: The Risks You Need to Know

If you think of geohazards or georisks, you would be right in thinking that, geologically, the UK is a fairly benign place. There are very few earthquakes, no volcanoes (anymore!) and luckily no tsunamis. On a global scale, the UK is relatively stable – but dig a little deeper and our rich and varied geology and our long history of extensive mineral extraction create a number of human and natural ground hazards that pose a very real risk to property, land, business and livelihoods.

What is clear is that climate change will exacerbate the risks that ground hazards pose. Higher temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and more severe weather conditions will see a greater number of properties and wider and more varied areas of land affected by clay-related subsidence, erosion and landslip. Crucially, being an island nation, we may have to accept that more and more homes and coastal communities will become lost to the sea.

The experts at Terrafirma are excited to bring you a new 6-part educational series, exploring human and natural ground hazards, how they impact our homes and our businesses, and what we can expect in the future. #jointheexperts #understandtheground

Coastal Hazards

Monday 7th September

11 - 11.30am

Geologist and Founder of Terrafirma Tom Backhouse will take you through the basic principles of coastal erosion, how and where this natural process represents a risk to UK property and land and enable you to come away with a better understanding of this problematic hazard.

Coal Mining

Tuesday 8th September

11 - 11.30am

Geologist Tim Longden adds context to today’s coal mining risk, discusses why out of all the ground hazards, risk to property from coal mining is perhaps the most well appreciated and leave you with a sense of how coal mining hazards continue to impact property transactions in the UK.

All other Mining

Tuesday 8th September

3 - 3.30pm

Mining specialist and Managing Director of Cornwall Consultants, Dan Berriman and Geologist Maura Partridge unravel Britain’s complex history of mining through maps, expose the hidden risk of unrecorded mines and will discuss how mining impacts property and land.

Landslides

Thursday 10th September

3 - 3.30pm

Engineering specialist Chris Milne, with over 30 years experience of dealing with ground stability issues, will take you through the different types and scales of landslips, some well-known and not-so-well-known examples and discusses how this hazard represents a risk to property.

Soil-related Subsidence

Tuesday 15th September

3 - 3.30pm

Geospatial environmental data scientist Dr Tim Farewell, who has devoted his academic career to modelling and minimising the environmental impacts on property, land and infrastructure, takes you through key questions you need to understand if a house is at risk from subsidence.

Coastal Hazards

Tuesday 15th September

11 - 11.30am

Coal Mining

Thursday 17th September

11 - 11.30am

Geologist Maura Partridge discusses why out of all the ground hazards, risk to property from coal mining is perhaps the most well appreciated and leave you with a sense of how coal mining hazards continue to impact property transactions in the UK.

All other Mining

Thursday 17th September

3 - 3.30pm

Geologist and Founder of Terrafirma Tom Backhouse, and Geologist Maura Partridge unravel Britain’s complex history of mining through maps, expose the hidden risk of unrecorded mines and will discuss how mining impacts property and land.

Climate Change

Tuesday 22nd September

11 - 11.30am

Dr Tim Farewell, a geospatial environmental data scientist - who has dedicated his academic career to minimising the impacts of ground hazards on society - explains how ground hazards will respond to a changing climate, focusing on the key risks to property and land.