Doctor Esther Sumner

Dr Esther Sumner

Associate Professor

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About

Esther’s research concerns understanding the dynamics of seafloor sediment avalanches. In modern systems she is interested in understanding and mitigating the hazard posed by avalanches to seafloor infrastructure, quantifying the role of avalanches in transporting sediment, nutrients and pollutants from land to the deep sea and understanding implications for seafloor ecosystems. In ancient systems she is interested in understanding how avalanches can be used to reconstruct past tectonic and climatic histories. Her research combines direct monitoring of avalanches on the seafloor, studies of modern and ancient outcrops and experimental modelling.