William J. McGuire (born 1954) is a
volcanologist
A volcanologist, or volcano scientist, is a geologist who focuses on understanding the formation and eruptive activity of volcanoes. Volcanologists frequently visit volcanoes, sometimes active ones, to observe and monitor volcanic eruptions, col ...
and Emeritus Professor of Geophysical & Climate Hazards at
University College London
, mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £143 million (2020)
, budget = ...
.
His main interests include
volcano
A volcano is a rupture in the Crust (geology), crust of a Planet#Planetary-mass objects, planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and volcanic gas, gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Ear ...
instability and lateral collapse, the nature and impact of global geophysical events and the
effect of climate change on
geological hazards.
Background
McGuire studied at UCL and Luton College of Higher Education, now the
University of Bedfordshire
The University of Bedfordshire is a public research university with campuses in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, England. The University has roots from 1882, however, it gained university status in 1993 as the University of Luton. The Universi ...
and has a PhD in Geology from University College London (1980). He began lecturing in Geology at the
West London Institute of Higher Education
The West London Institute of Higher Education (WLIHE), a two-campus academic establishment, was located in Isleworth and East Twickenham, West London, UK from 1976 until 1995 when it became Brunel University College. In 1997 it was fully integrat ...
in the 1980s, former home of well known TV geologist
Iain Stewart. He was then appointed Reader at Cheltenham & Gloucester College of Higher Education (now the
University of Gloucestershire
, mottoeng = In Spirit and Truth
, established =
, type = Public
, endowment = £2.4 m (2015)
, chancellor = Rennie Fritchie, Baroness Fritchie
, vice_chancellor ...
), and made it into the university sector in the 1990s when he was appointed Professor of Geohazards and Director of the Aon Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre at
University College London
, mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £143 million (2020)
, budget = ...
. The centre is funded by the insurance industry. He relinquished the Directorship in 2011.
He was a member of the UK Government's Natural Hazard Working Group, established by Prime Minister
Tony Blair
Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of th ...
following the
2004 Indian Ocean tsunami
An earthquake and a tsunami, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community, the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, occurred at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7) on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Suma ...
. In 2010 he was member of the
Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies
The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) is a British Government body that advises central government in emergencies. It is usually chaired by the United Kingdom's Chief Scientific Adviser, currently Sir Patrick Vallance. Speciali ...
(SAGE), to address problems following the
eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull.
He contributed to the
IPCC
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations. Its job is to advance scientific knowledge about climate change caused by human activities. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ...
summary report on extreme weather and disasters (2011).
McGuire lives in a geologically inactive area,
Brassington
Brassington is a village and civil parish in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, 16 miles north west of Derby. The parish had a population of 573 at the 2011 census.
The name, spelled ''Branzingtune'' in the Domesday Book, is thought ...
in the
Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in England at the southern end of the Pennines. Mostly in Derbyshire, it extends into Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. It includes the Dark Peak, where moorla ...
, with his wife and two sons after many years in
Hampton, Surrey.
Research and work
McGuire is regarded as a UK expert on geological disasters including
supervolcanoes
A supervolcano is a volcano that has had an eruption with a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 8, the largest recorded value on the index. This means the volume of deposits for such an eruption is greater than 1,000 cubic kilometers (240 cubic ...
,
impact events
An impact event is a collision between astronomical objects causing measurable effects. Impact events have physical consequences and have been found to regularly occur in planetary systems, though the most frequent involve asteroids, comets or me ...
,
tsunamis
A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater expl ...
and
earthquakes.
He described
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
as "the city waiting to die", referring to its placement on a prominent
geological fault that could result in a highly damaging
earthquake
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...
. McGuire's main research sites are the
Canary Islands,
Mount Etna, and the
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellowst ...
supervolcano in
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...
.
In his book, ''Waking the Giant'',
he argues temperature change brought about by
global warming
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
could release pressure from melting ice caps (through
post-glacial rebound
Post-glacial rebound (also called isostatic rebound or crustal rebound) is the rise of land masses after the removal of the huge weight of ice sheets during the last glacial period, which had caused isostatic depression. Post-glacial rebound ...
) and trigger earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, as well as increased landslides resulting from heavier rainfall. See
Physical impacts of climate change
The effects of climate change impact the physical environment, ecosystems and human societies. The environmental effects of climate change are broad and far-reaching. They affect the water cycle, oceans, sea and land ice ( glaciers), sea le ...
McGuire is a Co-Director of the New Weather Institute,
a co-op and think-tank "created to accelerate the rapid transition to a fair economy that thrives within planetary boundaries".
He blogs for
Extinction Rebellion
Extinction Rebellion (abbreviated as XR) is a global environmental movement, with the stated aim of using nonviolent civil disobedience to compel government action to avoid tipping points in the climate system, biodiversity loss, and the risk o ...
and is a Special Scientific Advisor fo
The Word Forest Organisation
Media appearances
McGuire has appeared on many TV shows including ''
Horizon'', one of the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
.
McGuire has written several academic and popular books on geohazards, earth sciences and geology, including:
* McGuire, W. (2022). ''Hothouse Earth: An Inhabitant’s Guide''. Icon. ISBN 1785789201
* Simms, A. and W. McGuire (eds.). (2019). ''Knock Three Times: 28 modern folk tales for a world in trouble''. New Weather Institute. ISBN 0995662355
* McGuire, W. (2012). ''Waking the Giant – How a Changing Climate Triggers Earthquakes, Tsunamis, and Volcanoes''.
* McGuire, W. and M. Maslin. (eds.) (2012). ''Climate Forcing of Geological Hazards''. Wiley.
* McGuire, W. (2008). 'Seven Years to Save the Planet: The Questions and Answers'' (2008)
* McGuire, W. (2006). ''Global Catastrophes: A Very Short Introduction.'' Oxford University Press.
* McGuire, W. (2005). ''Surviving Armageddon: Solutions for a threatened planet''. Oxford University Press. ISBN 019280572X