Professor Ian Maddock
Professor of River Science
Geography and Environment
email: i.maddock@worc.ac.uk
tel: Main Reception: 01905 855000, Room EE G032
Watch Professor Ian Maddock's video biography
Professor Ian Maddock joined Worcester in 1993 and has teaching and research interests in River Science, Hydromorphology and the use of drones or Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for high resolution surveys and to assess environmental change.
His University learning and teaching experience includes being a tutor for BSc Geography and the newly created BSc Environmental Management and Sustainability degree, and he led the development of and is course leader for the MRes in River Science. He teaches on a range of courses including generic modules (e.g. Environmental Investigations, Dynamic Earth, Geographical Investigations) and subject specific modules (e.g. River Conservation and Management, River Monitoring and Assessment, The Physical Geography of Mountain Environments, the Mountain Environments Field Course). His teaching is characterised by three key features, i.e. 1) the integration of practical work, especially fieldwork, labwork and computer practicals in module content to encourage student engagement for skills development and to enhance student employability, 2) research-informed teaching, and 3) working with students as academic partners for the development of new engaging and immersive learning and teaching resources. Ian endeavours to make module content relevant to real-word issues and the workplace, experiential (through fieldwork, labwork and the use of virtual reality) and promote deep-learning and student engagement.
Ian has been leading on the development of using drones for environmental monitoring, topographic surveying and geomorphic change detection in the Geography and Environmental Science curricula and has enhanced undergraduate skills through the use of real-time telemetry at UW river monitoring sites for flow and water quality monitoring. He has also collaborated on the development of virtual fieldwork with Dr Des McDougall.
Ian’s primary research roles are postgraduate research supervision in Physical Geography and Environmental Science and carrying out and project managing funded research and consultancy contracts. He supervises numerous PhD students and has a 100% track record for successful completions of his PhD students. He was awarded the University's Excellence in Doctoral Supervision Award in 2021. Ian leads the ‘River Science and Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle Surveys ‘area of distinction’ that forms part of the Sustainable Environments Research Group.
The main focus of his research is on developing methods for i) measuring, mapping and monitoring the hydromorphology of streams and understanding how this influences habitat hydraulics and ii) the use of UAVs for ultra-high resolution remote sensing of river morphology, the measurement of river velocity and river discharge, and to quantify soil erosion for conservation agriculture and Natural Flood Management (NFM).
Ian often works collaboratively with river scientists in multidisciplinary teams, especially with ecologists, biologists and engineers and with stakeholders and community groups to develop sustainable solutions to river management and water resource issues. He has had a UK Civil Aviation Authority approved Remote Pilot Qualification small (RPQ-s) and managed the School of Science and the Environments Permission for Commercial Operation from 2011, including updating his pilot competency with additional ground school training to maintain currency in 2016. Ian has flown the University's drones for research in the UK, Chile, Switzerland and Slovenia.
Ian has developed an externally funded research program that has generated field experience and publication based on work in the UK and internationally, having conducted research and consultancy in Australia, Slovenia, Chile, Ireland, Switzerland and the USA. He has provided research and scientific policy support to government organisations (e.g. Environment Agency), research institutions (e.g. Centre for Ecology and Hydrology), research councils (e.g. NERC), local authorities (e.g. Worcestershire County Council) and environmental consultancies (e.g. ENTEC UK, CDM Ireland) and has a range of publications in international refereed journals and edited book chapters.
Qualifications
- Higher Education Academy (HEA) Fellow (2020)
- PhD Instream Habitat Assessment: A Geomorphological Approach (Loughborough, 1994)
- BSc (Hons) Geography (Loughborough, 1989)
Teaching & Research Modules
Courses:
BSc Geography
BSc Physical Geography
BSc Environmental Science
BSc Environmental Management and Sustainability
MRes in River Science Course Leader
Modules:
GEOG 1301 Geographical Investigations
GEOG 1310 Dynamic Earth
ENMS 1001 Environmental Investigations
GEOG 2322 River Monitoring and Assessment
GEOG 2320 The Physical Geography of Mountain Environments
GEOG 3310 Mountain Environments Field Course (module leader)
GEOG 3120 River Conservation and Management (module leader)
GEOG 3002 Dissertation
Rapid assessment methods for mapping and monitoring Hydromorphology to understand the interaction between river channel morphology and flow regimes and its impact of habitat hydraulics and habitat dynamics. Hydroecology / Ecohydrology, Ecohydraulics and the impact of river management on physical habitat.
The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Terrestrial Laser Scanners (TLS) for ultra-high resolution remote sensing surveys of river morphology
Member of the Sustainable Environments Research Group: Sustainable Environments Research Group
Current PhD Student Supervision
Josie Lynch (PT). Monitoring the effects of Conservation Agriculture on soil erosion and natural flood management using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
Becky Collins (PT). An evaluation of the use of terrestrial laser scanning for the assessment of river bank erosion.
Sophie Pearce (FT). Use of drone and pole-mounted vide for surface flow velocity estimation using image velocimetry.
Albert Mvula (FT). The socio-ecological sustainability of the Tiyeni Conservation Agriculture method in Malawi.
Melanie Milin (FT). Macroinvertebrate community composition of intermittent streams. Director of Studies - Dr Tory Milner.
Amritha Nair (FT). Mapping plant stress in submerged aquatic vegetation using very-high and ultra-high resolution multi-spectral imagery and structure-from-motion photogrammetry. Director of Studies - Dr Fleur Visser.
Beas Banerjee (FT). Drones, development and disaster risk reduction in Nepal. Director of Studies - Dr. Alan Dixon.
Previous PhD supervision (Director of Studies unless stated)
Sophie Pearce (FT). Use of drone and pole-mounted vide for surface flow velocity estimation using image velocimetry. 2022.
Albert Mvula (FT). The socio-ecological sustainability of the Tiyeni Conservation Agriculture method in Malawi. 2021. Director of Studies - Dr Alan Dixon.
George Bunting: The influence of fine sediment intrusion on macroinvertebrate communities. 2020. Director of Studies Dr Tory Milner.
Amy Woodget: Quantifying Physical River Habitat Parameters Using Hyperspatial Resolution UAS Imagery and SfM-photogrammetry. 2015. Director of Studies, Dr Fleur Visser.
Martin Wilkes: Evaluating the microscale hydrodynamics of hydraulic river habitats. 2014.
Caroline Wallis: An evaluation of the spatial configuration and temporal dynamics of hydraulic river habitats. 2014.
Danni Pearce: Reconstruction of a plateau icefield during the British Younger Dryas: a glaciological perspective. 2013. Director of Studies, Dr Des McDougall.
Graham Hill: The relationship of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages to water-surface flow types in British lowland rivers. 2011.
Megan Klaar: The development of geomorphological complexity and its influence on fish communities across a chronosequence of streams of different ages in Alaska. 2009. Director of Studies, Professor Sandy Milner (funded jointly between University of Birmingham and University of Worcester).
Marie-Pierre Gosselin: Dynamics of hydraulic habitats in surface-runoff versus groundwater-dominated streams and the implications of habitat stability in lotic ecosystem functioning. 2009.
Anna Triggol. Testing and Developing Protocols for the Practical Application of PHABSIM for Instream Flow and Habitat Assessment. 2001.
Pauline Couper: River Bank Erosion and the Influence of Soil Particle Size. 2001.
PhD Project Ideas
Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for Mapping Hydromorphology and Hydraulic Habitat
Mapping plant stress in submerged aquatic vegetation using very-high and ultra-high resolution multi-spectral imagery and structure from motion photogrammetry
Previous MRes in River Science Supervision:
Emma Dabbs: The use of drone derived structure-from-motion to assess river channel change on the River Teme
Lev Dahl: Assessing the effectiveness of river restoration on turbidity
Carly Gant: Evaluating bank erosion rates using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, River Arrow, Warwickshire
David Wilson: The impact of flow intermittency on macroinvertebrate populations
Chris Greensmith: The use of eDNA for assessing otter presence in a small stream
Megan Robertson: Evaluating the impact of conservation agriculture on soil erosion to river systems using UAVs and Geomorphic Change Detection
Laura Sutton: An evaluation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Terrestrial Laser Scanning to generate Digital Elevation Models of two contrasting streams
Research & Consultancy
Research and Consultancy projects undertaken
2023-2024: An assessment of high-altitude pseudo-satellites for environmental monitoring and disaster risk reduction. Funded by Innovate UK.
2023: Identifying strategic site for natural flood management in the Lyd catchment, Gloucestershire. Funded by Gloucestershire County Council.
2021-2022: Evaluating the suitability of sites for Natural Flood Management in the Dowles Brook and River Isbourne Catchments. Funded by Worcestershire County Council.
2020-2021: Using Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry to assess leaky dams for Natural Flood Management on the Wilde Brook. Funded by Shropshire County Council.
2020-2021: Using drones to assess the effectiveness of conservation agriculture to reduce soil erosion. Funded by the Environment Agency.
2018-2019: Using drones for high resolution mapping of soil erosion and sediment delivery in relation to Natural Flood Management. Funded by the Environment Agency. MRes studentship. Megan Robertson.
2018: Report on the hydrological influence of Ipsley Brook on Matchborough Pond. Funded by North Worcestershire Water Management.
2016-17: Report on the hydraulic impact of weirs on the River Arrow, Redditch. Funded by North Worcestershire Water Management.
2011-2012: Report on the impact of hydro-electric dams on the Soca River, Slovenia. Funded by the Institute of Water for the Republic of Slovenia.
2010-2011: Report on the impact of hydro-electric dams on the Idrijca River, Slovenia. Funded by the Institute of Water for the Republic of Slovenia.
2007-2009: External Consultant for CDM Ireland on the project 'Integrated Water Resource Management System for the Eastern River Basin District in Ireland'.
2006-2008: Assessing the viability of complex Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) with a spatially distributed sensor array for imaging of river bed morphology. Funded by NERC as part of the CONNECT A scheme.
2006-2007: County Survey of the Fluvial Geomorphology of Worcestershire Rivers. Funded by Worcestershire County Council and the Earth Heritage Trust.
Research and Consultancy Reports
Lynch, J. & Maddock, I.P. (2022) An assessment of Natural Flood Management opportunities in the Kyre Brook catchment, Herefordshire
Robertson, M. & Maddock, I.P. (2019) Assessing the effectiveness of Natural Flood Management (NFM) at Lower Hope Farms, Herefordshire.
Maddock and Atkins (2018) A hydrological survey of the Ipsley Brook, Worcestershire. Undertaken for North Worcestershire Water Management, a shared District Council service covering Bromsgrove, Redditch and Wyre Forest.
Maddock and Atkins (2017) A hydraulic assessment of selected weirs on the River Arrow, Worcestershire. Undertaken for North Worcestershire Water Management, a shared District Council service covering Bromsgrove, Redditch and Wyre Forest.
Maddock, I.P., Wilkes, M. & Wallis, C. & (2012) Physical Habitat Characteristics of the Soca River: Data Analysis Report. Report Undertaken for the Institute of Water for the Republic of Slovenia.
Maddock, I.P., Wallis, C. & Wilkes, M. (2011) River Idrijca Physical Habitat and Fish Assemblage Data Analysis Report. Report Undertaken for the Institute of Water for the Republic of Slovenia.
Maddock, I.P., Visser, F., Hill, G., Holliday, R. & Wynn, D. (2007) Assessing the viability of complex Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) with a spatially distributed sensor array for imaging of river bed morphology: a proof of concept study. Report to NERC as part of the Connect A scheme. Project Code: NE/E522559/1
Maddock, I.P. & Hill, G. (2007) A Survey of the Fluvial Geomorphology of Worcestershire Rivers. Report to Worcestershire County Council and the Earth Heritage Trust.
Booker, D.J., Goodwin, T.G., Acreman, M.C., Dunbar, M.J., Rivas-Casado, M., Maddock I.P. and Hardy, T.B. (2006) Rapid Assessment of the Physical Habitat Sensitivity to Abstraction. Interim Technical Report. Report to the Environment Agency and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.
Maddock, I.P. & Hill, G. (2005) Rapid Assessment of Physical Habitat Sensitivity to Abstraction ñ Review of habitat mapping methods. Report undertaken for the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (Wallingford).
Publications
Bertalan, L., Eltner, A., Maddock, I.P. and Pizarro, A. (2023) Monitoring of river channel dynamics by UAS. In, Manfreda, S. and Ben-Dor, E. (eds.) Remote Sensing of the Environment Using Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS). Elsevier.
Milner, V.S., Jones, I., Maddock, I.P. and Bunting, G. (2022) The hyporheic zone as an invertebrate refuge during a fine sediment disturbance event. Ecohydrology. 15:e2450.
Milner, V.S., Maddock, I.P., Jones, I. and Bunting, G. (2021) Do legacy effects of deposited fine sediment influence the the ecological response of drifting invertebrates to a fine sediment pulse? Aquatic Sciences. 83:70.
Dal Sasso, S.F., Pizarro, A., Pearce, S., Maddock, I.P. and Manfreda, S., (2021) Increasing LSPIV performances by exploiting the seeding distribution index at different spatial scales. Journal of Hydrology.
Perks, M. T., Dal Sasso, S. F., Hauet, A., Pearce, S., Peña-Haro, S., Tauro, F., Grimaldi, S., Hortobágyi B., Jodeau, M., Le Coz, J., Maddock, I.P., Pénard, L. & Manfreda S. (2020) Towards harmonization of image velocimetry techniques for river surface velocity observations. Earth System Science Data. Earth System Science Data, 12: pp.1545-1559.
Pearce, S., Ljubičić, R., Peña-Haro, S., Perks, M., Tauro, F., Pizarro, A., Dal Sasso, S.F., Strelnikova, D., Grimaldi, S., Maddock, I.P. and Paulus, G., (2020) An Evaluation of Image Velocimetry Techniques under Low Flow Conditions and High Seeding Densities Using Unmanned Aerial Systems. Remote Sensing, 12, p.232-256.
Rivas-Casado, M., Maddock, I.P. & Woodget, A.S. (2020) Using Unmanned Aerial Systems for the remote sensing of hydromorphology. In, Green, D. (ed.) Unmanned Aerial Remote Sensing: UAS for Environmental Applications. CRC Press.
Maddock, I.P. (2018) Environmental Flows: Habitat Modeling. In: The Wetland Book: I Structure and Function, Management, and Methods. Springer Netherlands, Dordrecht, pp. 1829-1834.
Wilkes, M.A., Enders, E.C., Silva, A.T., Acreman, M. and Maddock, I.P. (2017) Position choice and swimming costs of juvenile Atlantic salmon salmo salar in turbulent flow. Journal of Ecohydraulics, 2: 16-27.
Woodget, A.S., Austrums, R., Maddock, I.P. and Habit, E., (2017) Drones and digital photogrammetry: From classifications to continuums for monitoring river habitat and hydromorphology. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water.
Woodget, A.S., Visser F., Maddock I.P. and Carbonneau, P.E., (2016) The accuracy and reliability of traditional surface flow type mapping: Is it time for a new method of characterising physical river habitat? River Research and Applications. 32: pp.1902-1914.
Nestler, J.M, Baigun, C. and Maddock, I.P. (2016) Achieving the aquatic ecosystem perspective. Integrating interdisciplinary approaches describe instream ecohydraulic processes. In, Gilvear, D., Greenwood, M. Thoms, M & Wood, P. (Eds) River Science: Research and Applications for the 21st Century. Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 84-102.
Wilkes, M.A., Maddock, I.P., Link, O. & Habit, E. (2016) A community-level, mesoscale analysis of fish assemblage structure in shoreline habitats of a large river using multivariate regression trees. River Research and Applications. 32: 652-665.
Woodget, A.S., Carbonneau, P.E., Visser F. & Maddock I.P. (2015) Quantifying submerged fluvial topography at hyperspatial resolutions with UAS imagery and SfM-photogrammetry. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. 40: 47-64.
Maddock, I.P., Harby, A., Kemp, P. & Wood, P. (eds.) (2013) Ecohydraulics: An Integrated Approach. Wiley-Blackwell. 446p.
Maddock, I.P., Harby, A., Kemp, P. & Wood, P. (eds.) (2013) Ecohydraulics: an introduction. In, Maddock, I.P. Harby, A., Kemp, P. & Wood, P. (Eds.) Ecohydraulics: An Integrated Approach. Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 1-6.
Wilkes, M., Maddock, I.P., Visser, F. & Acreman, M. (2013) Incorporating hydrodynamics into ecohydraulics: The role of turbulence in the swimming and habitat selection of river-dwelling salmonids. In, Maddock, I.P. Harby, A., Kemp, P. & Wood, P. (Eds.) Ecohydraulics: An Integrated Approach. Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 9-30.
Hill, G., Maddock, I.P. and Bickerton, M. (2013) Testing the relationship between surface flow types and benthic macroinvertebrates. In, Maddock, I.P. Harby, A., Kemp, P. & Wood, P. (Eds.) Ecohydraulics: An Integrated Approach. Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 213-228.
Maddock, I.P., Harby, A., Kemp, P. & Wood, P. (eds.) (2013) Research Needs, Challenges and the Future of Ecohydraulics Research. In, Maddock, I.P. Harby, A., Kemp, P. & Wood, P. (Eds.) Ecohydraulics: An Integrated Approach. Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 431-436.
Wallis, C., Maddock, I.P., Visser, F. & Acreman, M. (2012) A framework for evaluating the spatial configuration and temporal dynamics of hydraulic patches. River Research and Applications. 28, 585-593.
Gosselin, M.P., Maddock, I.P. & Petts, G.E. (2012) Mesohabitat use by brown trout (Salmo trutta) in a small groundwater-dominated stream. River Research and Applications. 28, 390-401.
Klaar, M.J., Hill, D., Maddock, I.P. & Milner, A.M. (2011) Interactions between instream wood and hydrogeomorphic development within recently deglaciated streams in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. Geomorphology. 130: 208-220.
Gosselin, M.P., Petts, G.E. & Maddock, I.P. (2010) Mesohabitat use by bullhead (Cottus gobio). Hydrobiologia. 652, 299-310.
Klaar, M.J., Maddock, I.P., Milner, A.M. (2009) The development of hydraulic and geomorphic complexity in recently formed streams in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. River Research and Applications. 25, 1331-1338.
Maddock, I.P., Smolar-vanut, N. & Hill, G. (2008) The effect of flow regulation on the distribution and dynamics of channel geomorphic units (CGUs) and implications for Marble Trout (Salmo marmoratus) spawning habitat in the Soca River, Slovenia. Institute of Physical Conference Series, Earth and Environmental Science, 4, 012026 doi:10.1088/1755-1307/4/1/012026.
Smolar-vanut, N., Maddock, I.P. & Vrhovöek, D. (2008) Evaluation and application of environmental flow regimes of running waters in Slovenia. International Journal of Water Resources Development. 24, 609-619.
Maddock, I.P., Smolar-vanut, N. & Hill, G. (2007) A comparison of the channel geomorphic unit (CGU) composition of regulated and unregulated reaches in the Soca River, Slovenia. Revija Za Geografijo. 1-2, 23-38.
University Roles & External Responsibilities
University Roles
MRes in River Science: Course Leader
Graduate Research School Steering Group: Member
STEMNET Ambassador
Recruitment Action Group
External Responsibilities
Evaluating the effect of flow regulation and abstraction on instream habitat availability and determining environmental flows (research and consultancy for the Environment Agency (various regions)).
Consultant for CDM Ireland (Environmental Consultancy): Development of tools for setting Instream Flows, Eastern River Basin District, Ireland.
Research with the Earth Heritage Trust - Baseline survey of Worcestershire Rivers.
Research with Q-par Angus Ltd. funded by NERC: Assessing the viability of complex Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) for imaging river bed morphology.
Research with Professor Sandy Milner, University of Birmingham: the evolution of aquatic ecosystems and predicting how successional processes interact with landscape geomorphology, Glacier Bay, Alaska, USA.
Research with Dr Smolar-vanut, Institute of Water for the Republic of Slovenia, Slovenia: the effect of flow regulation on the spatial and temporal dynamics of hydraulic river habitat in the Soca River, Slovenia.
Research with Professor Martin Thoms, University of Canberra: environmental flow setting to protect habitat for native fish species, Cotter River, Australia.
External MRes, MPhil and PhD examiner:
Loughborough University
University of Stirling
University of Durham
University of Canberra
University of Melbourne
Queen Mary University, London
University of New England
University of Brighton
Cranfield University
University of Leeds
Royal Holloway, University of London
University of KwaZulu-Natal
Membership of Professional Bodies
Royal Geographical Society
British Hydrological Society
River Restoration Society