Dr Murray Gray
Reader Emeritus in Geography
School of Geography
Queen Mary, University of London
Mile End Road, London E1 4NS
Phone: 020 7882 5409
Fax: 020 7882 7479
Email: j.m.gray@qmul.ac.uk
Research interests:
Research areas: geodiversity & geoconservation; Quaternary geomorphology; environmental management
Geodiversity & geoconservation
Most focus in nature conservation is on wildlife conservation or biodiversity. Important though this is, much greater attention needs to be given to valuing and conserving abiotic nature or geodiversity, defined as the natural range of rocks, sediments, minerals, fossils, soils, landforms and physical processes. This is because this abiotic diversity is of value in a variety of ways yet is threatened by several human actions which can destroy, damage or pollute physical systems.
Geodiversity and geoconservation research at Queen Mary focuses on:
- major international issues, comparisons, terminology and definitions (Gray, 2004);
- geomorphologically authentic design of anthropogenic landforms;
- conservation of landscape character in the wider landscape;
- development of model planning policies, Supplementary Planning Guidance on
Geodiversity (SPG), Geodiversity Action Plans (GAPs); - geoconservation and public policy.
Quaternary geomorphology
Interests here include:
- glacio-isostatic shoreline development and sea-level change in Scotland;
- the Loch Lomond Stadial glaciation in the UK;
- glaciofluvial landform evolution;
- small-scale glacial erosional features, e.g. friction cracks, p-forms
Environmental management
Interests here include:
- environmental planning and sustainable communities;
- coastal management and public policy
- renewable energy and sustainable design.
Publications:
GRAY, J.M. 1997. Planning and landform: geomorphological authenticity or incongruity in the countryside. Area, 29, 312-324.
GRAY, J.M. 1997. Landraising: groundwater protection, visual impact and planning. Waste Planning, 25, 10-12.
GRAY, J.M. 1998. Hills of waste: a policy conflict in environmental geology. In BENNETT, M.R. & DOYLE, P. (eds) Issues in environmental geology: a British perspective. Geological Society London, 173-195.
GRAY, J.M. 2001. Geomorphological conservation and public policy in England: a geomorphological critique of English Nature’s “Natural Areas” approach. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 26, 1009-1023.
GRAY, J.M. 2002. Landraising of waste in England. 1990-2000: a survey of the geomorphologicasl issues raised by planning applications. Applied Geography, 22, 209-234.
GRAY, M. & JARMAN, D. 2003. Creating authentic “glacial” landforms from waste materials: two UK case studies. Scottish Geographical Journal, 119, 311-324.
GRAY, M. 2004. ‘Land form’ rather than ‘landforms’: geomorphological conservation outside protected areas. In PARKES, M.A. (ed) Natural and cultural landscapes: the geological foundation. Royal Irish Academy, Dublin.
GRAY, M. 2004. Geodiversity: valuing and conserving abiotic nature. John Wiley, Chichester, 434pp.