Iain Simpson Stewart (born 1964) is a Scottish geologist who is currently Jordan-UK El Hassan bin Talal Research Chair in Sustainability at the Royal Scientific Society in Jordan. He is a UNESCO Chair in Geoscience and Society and formerly a member of the Scientific Board of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

's International Geoscience Programme. Described as geology's "rock star", Stewart is best known to the public as the presenter of a number of science programmes for the BBC, notably the BAFTA nominated '' Earth: The Power of the Planet'' (2007). He is a

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

of the

Geological Society of London The Geological Society of London, known commonly as the Geological Society, is a learned society based in the United Kingdom. It is the oldest national geological society in the world and the largest in Europe with more than 12,000 Fellows. Fe ...

, the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

, and President of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. Until 2021 he was Director of the Sustainable Earth Institute at

University of Plymouth The University of Plymouth is a public research university based predominantly in Plymouth, England, where the main campus is located, but the university has campuses and affiliated colleges across South West England. With students, it is the ...

and remains a of Professor of Geoscience Communication there, in addition to his role as co-Director of the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability at Ashoka University

Early life and education

Stewart was born in 1964 in

East Kilbride East Kilbride (; gd, Cille Bhrìghde an Ear ) is the largest town in South Lanarkshire in Scotland and the country's sixth-largest locality by population. It was also designated Scotland's first new town on 6 May 1947. The area lies on a rais ...

, in

Lanarkshire Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark ( gd, Siorrachd Lannraig; sco, Lanrikshire), is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the central Lowlands of Scotland. Lanarkshire is the most populous county in Scotl ...

, to Sheena and Jack. He has two younger brothers, Graeme and Frazer. He attended Mount Cameron Primary and then Claremont High School from 1976 to 1982. In an interview with the Glasgow ''Herald'', Stewart revealed that he initially struggled with geology: "I was a middling student, never really at the top of the class, nor at the bottom. Which I think is good, in a way. When you're out there at the top, it can be quite isolating." Stewart was a child actor and holder of an

Equity Equity may refer to: Finance, accounting and ownership *Equity (finance), ownership of assets that have liabilities attached to them ** Stock, equity based on original contributions of cash or other value to a business ** Home equity, the diff ...

card. His first appearance on television came in 1978, in a

BBC Scotland BBC Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: ''BBC Alba'') is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcaster in Scotland. It is one of the four BBC national regions, together with the BBC English Regions, BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Northern Irela ...

adaptation of

John Buchan John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (; 26 August 1875 – 11 February 1940) was a Scottish novelist, historian, and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation. After a brief legal career ...

's 1922 novel '' Huntingtower''. Amongst his contemporaries at the East Kilbride Rep Theatre was the actor John Hannah. Leaving acting behind, he studied

geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, an ...

and geology at

Strathclyde University The University of Strathclyde ( gd, Oilthigh Shrath Chluaidh) is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal c ...

, graduating in 1986 with a

first class honours The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading structure for undergraduate degrees or bachelor's degrees and integrated master's degrees in the United Kingdom. The system has been applied (sometimes with significant variati ...

Bachelor of Science degree. He obtained his doctorate, entitled "The evolution of neotectonic normal fault scarps in the Aegean Region" in 1990 at the

University of Bristol , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

on research into earthquakes in Greece and

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

. In 1990 he began teaching 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 ...

(WLIHE) in Osterley (occupying the Warden's flat with his wife for several years), and from 1995 at

Brunel University Brunel University London is a public research university located in the Uxbridge area of London, England. It was founded in 1966 and named after the Victorian engineer and pioneer of the Industrial Revolution, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. In Jun ...

due to its merger with WLIHE. After 12 years in London he moved back to Scotland to develop a new career as a science broadcaster. Nostalgic for Brunel, he said "And invariably, you move on to places that for all their benefits, seem surprisingly narrow, and more fallow, in comparison. In short, it was a remarkable place to be". He moved to the

in 2004, later becoming Professor of Geoscience Communication, a position he believed to be unique in the world. He left to become Jordan-UK El Hassan bin Talal Research Chair in Sustainability in 2021 on a four year secondment to the Royal Scientific Society, based in

Amman Amman (; ar, عَمَّان, ' ; Ammonite: 𐤓𐤁𐤕 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''Rabat ʻAmān'') is the capital and largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of 4,061,150 as of 2021, Amman is ...

Broadcasting

Stewart returned to television as an expert academic for ''Helike – The Real Atlantis'', a 2002 BBC ''

Horizon The horizon is the apparent line that separates the surface of a celestial body from its sky when viewed from the perspective of an observer on or near the surface of the relevant body. This line divides all viewing directions based on whether i ...

'' film about the destruction of the Greek city of Helike by earthquake and tsunami in 373 BCE, newly rediscovered in 2001. This, he says, "gave me a hunger to get more geology on telly." He featured in another Horizon film, on earthquakes, in April 2003, before appearing as a team member in the fourth series of ''Rough Science'' (shown January/February 2004), a series where a group of scientists is challenged to solve tasks using only the resources of the local surroundings and a small set of supplies. From there, built up a 15 year partnership with BBC Science presenting and hosting major Earth science documentaries and radio programmes until 2015, when ''Planet Oil'' aired on the BBC.

Research

His main research interests are in the broad area of Earth hazards and

natural disaster A natural disaster is "the negative impact following an actual occurrence of natural hazard in the event that it significantly harms a community". A natural disaster can cause loss of life or damage property, and typically leaves some econ ...

s, particularly in terms of identifying past major earthquakes,

tsunami 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 exp ...

s and

volcanic eruption Several types of volcanic eruptions—during which lava, tephra (ash, lapilli, volcanic bombs and volcanic blocks), and assorted gases are expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure—have been distinguished by volcanologists. These are oft ...

s in the Mediterranean region. Stewart also specialises in geology's effect on culture and religion throughout the history of the world. He appears in other roles, including as a scientific commentator. Stewart was appointed

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(MBE) in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to geology and science communication.

Other activities

He is a patron of the English Riviera Geopark, a member of the Scientific Board of

's International Geological Programme and chair of its 'Hazards' theme, a vice-president of The Geographical Association and its primary Geography 'Champion', a member of the Steering Committee of the

IUGS The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) is an international non-governmental organization devoted to international cooperation in the field of geology. About The IUGS was founded in 1961 and is a Scientific Union member of the Int ...

-Commission on Geoscience for Environmental Management Working Group on 'Communicating Environmental Geoscience', a member of the UK National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement's Academic Action Research group, and a member of The

's external relations committee. He is a member of the board of directors at the Centre for Research into Earth Energy Systems, University of Durham.

Honours and awards

''Honorary Degrees'' *2021

Doctor of Science Doctor of Science ( la, links=no, Scientiae Doctor), usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D., or D.S., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries, "Doctor of Science" is the degree used f ...

(D.Sc) -

Ghent University Ghent University ( nl, Universiteit Gent, abbreviated as UGent) is a public research university located in Ghent, Belgium. Established before the state of Belgium itself, the university was founded by the Dutch King William I in 1817, when th ...

*2014

(D.Sc) -

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

*2013

(D.Sc) - Kingston University ''Awards'' *2018

UNESCO Chair The UNESCO Chairs program was conceived as a way to advance research, training and programme development in higher education by building university networks and encouraging inter-university cooperation through transfer of knowledge across borders. ...

in Geoscience and Society *2018 Geological Society of America, President’s Medal *2017 American Geosciences Institute, ‘Public Understanding of Geosciences’ award *2017 Geological Society of America, International Distinguished Lecturer *2016

European Federation of Geoscientists European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...

‘Medal of Merit’ *2015

Senior Public Engagement Award *2014

American Association of Petroleum Geologists The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) is one of the world's largest professional geological societies with more than 40,000 members across 129 countries as of 2021. The AAPG works to "advance the science of geology, especially as ...

‘Geoscientists in the Media’ award *2014 ‘Scientia Medal’,

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensiv ...

*2013

(MBE) in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to geology and science communication. *2013

American Geophysical Union The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Earth, atmospheric, ocean, hydrologic, space, and planetary scientists and enthusiasts that according to their website includes 130,000 people (not members). AGU's ...

(AGU) Atheston Spilhaus award *2011 Edinburgh Geological Society – Honorary Fellow *2011 Geologists' Association - Honorary Life Membership *2010 The Geological Society of London– Honorary Fellow *2010

Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...

‘Ness Medal’

for "popularising geography and earth sciences." *2009 Geologists' Association - ‘Beverley Halstead Medal’

Work

Selected broadcasts

*''Journeys from the Centre of the Earth'' (2004), six one-hour films charting how geology has shaped the history of the Mediterranean, shown in the United States on

Discovery Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown * Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence Discovery, The Discove ...

Science Channel Science Channel (often simply branded as Science; abbreviated to SCI) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel features programming focusing on science related to wilderness survival, engineering, man ...

as ''Hot Rocks: Geology of Civilization''. The series won the prestigious "Best Earth Science programme" award at the 2005

Jackson Hole Jackson Hole (originally called Jackson's Hole by mountain men) is a valley between the Gros Ventre and Teton mountain ranges in the U.S. state of Wyoming, near the border with Idaho, in Teton County, one of the richest counties in the Unit ...

Film Festival. *'' Journeys into the Ring of Fire'' (2006); four one-hour films showing how rocks shaped the history and culture in Japan, Peru, Indonesia and California. *'' Earth: The Power of the Planet'' (2007), US title: ''Earth: The Biography'', five one hour films (''Volcano'', ''Oceans'', ''Atmosphere'', ''Ice'', ''Rare Earth'') about the forces that have shaped the planet and made it what it is. ''Cerapachys iainstewarti'', a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Afric ...

ant discovered during the filming of this series, was named after Stewart. *''Ten Things You Didn't Know About''... ''Volcanoes'' (2006), ''Tsunamis'', ''Earthquakes'', ''Avalanches'', (2008). *''The Climate Wars'' (2008), three one-hour films tracing the history of the science and politics of

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 ...

. *''Hot Planet'' (2009), with Kathy Sykes, examined global warming ahead of the

2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference The 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly known as the Copenhagen Summit, was held at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Denmark, between 7 and 18 December. The conference included the 15th session of the Conference of the Part ...

in Copenhagen. *''How Earth Made Us'' (2010),

ASIN Asin Thottumkal (born 26 October 1985), known mononymously as Asin, is a former Indian actress who appeared predominantly in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu films. She is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer. She has received three Filmfare Awards. She ...

: B002SZQCA2 (

Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...

), US title: ''How the Earth Changed History'', ASIN: B003DC8824, five one-hour films on how geology, geography and climate have influenced mankind. * ''Walking Through Landscapes'', (2010) Radio show, BBC Radio Scotland. * ''Making Scotland's Landscape'', (2010) BBC television. * '' Men Of Rock'' (2011) about scientists working in Scotland who pioneered geological study and understanding. BBC * '' How to Grow a Planet'' (2012) * ''

Volcano Live ''Volcano Live'' is a live television programme broadcast on BBC Two from 9 July 2012. The show was commissioned following the success of other "live" programmes such as ''Stargazing Live''. ''Volcano Live'' was presented over four nights by Ka ...

'' (2012) *
Rise of the Continents
' 4 part series (2013) BBC TV *
Fracking: The New Energy Rush
' (2013) Horizon, BBC TV *''Swallowed by a Sinkhole'' (2014) Horizon, investigates why the geology of Florida makes it the sinkhole capital of the world, BBC TV *''Planet Oil'' (2015) BBC *
James Clerk Maxwell: The Man Who Made the Modern World
' The story behind the Scottish physicist who was Einstein's hero. (2015) BBC

Major publications

*Sintubin, M., Stewart, I.S., Niemi, T. Altunel, E. (eds.) 2010. ''Ancient earthquakes''. Geological Society of America Special Paper 471, 280p. *Pascal, C, Vermeersen, B., Stewart, I.S. (eds.) 2009. ''Neotectonics, seismicity and stress in glaciated regions'' Thematic issue of the ''Journal of the Geological Society''. London. * Stewart, I.S. and J. Lynch. 2008. ''Earth: the biography''. Washington DC:

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widel ...

. . * Stewart, I.S. 2005. ''Journeys from the centre of the Earth: how geology shaped civilisation''. London: Century/

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

. * Morner, N.A., Stewart, I.S., Trifonov, V.G., Caputo, R., Nikonov, A.A., Kozhurin, A.I.,& Kopp, M.L. (Eds.) 2004. ''Active Faults in the Eastern Hemisphere''.

Tectonophysics Tectonophysics, a branch of geophysics, is the study of the physical processes that underlie tectonic deformation. The field encompasses the spatial patterns of stress, strain, and differing rheologies in the lithosphere and asthenosphere of ...

Special Issue volume 380, nos. 3–4. * Dunne, W., Stewart, I.S. & Turner, J.P. (Eds.) 2001. ''Brittle Microtectonics, Neotectonics and Archaeoseismicity''. Journal of Structural Geology, special issue, vol. 13, No.2/3, 500pp. * Stewart, I.S., Sauber, J. & Rose, J. (Eds.) 2000. ''Ice Sheets, Crustal Deformation and Seismicity''.

Journal of Quaternary Science The ''Journal of Quaternary Science'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal published on behalf of the Quaternary Research Association. It covers research on any aspect of quaternary science. The journal publishes predominantly research articles w ...

special issue, vol. 14/15. * McGuire, W.J., Griffiths, D., Hancock, P.L. & Stewart, I.S. (Eds.) 2000. ''The Archaeology of Geological Catastrophes''.

. Special Publication, 171, 413p. * Stewart, I.S. and C. Vita-Finzi (eds.). 1999. ''Coastal Tectonics''. Geological Society of London. Special Publication * *Stewart, I., Hurth, V. & Sterling, S. (Eds) 2022. ''Re-purposing Universities for Sustainable Human Progress''. Frontiers in Sustainability,

References

External links

* *
Plymouth University page"The golden age of geology"
Opinion piece by Iain Stewart at cosmosmagazine.com.
BBC Website for ''How Earth Made Us''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, Iain Living people 1964 births Academics of the University of Plymouth Academics of Brunel University London Alumni of the University of Strathclyde Horizon (British TV series) Members of the Order of the British Empire Scottish geologists People from East Kilbride Scottish television presenters Scottish radio presenters Scottish male child actors Alumni of the University of Bristol People educated at Claremont High School (East Kilbride) Presidents of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society