Dr Natasha Wallum

Natasha is a Departmental Lecturer at the School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE) and a tutor at Brasenose College, Oxford. She is a physical geographer and geospatial data scientist with expertise in aeolian geomorphology, dryland surface processes, and satellite-based Earth observation. Her research combines remote sensing, GIS, field investigation, and laboratory-based methods to understand the physical and geochemical drivers of dust emission and sediment transport in dryland landscapes, with a focus on ephemeral lake beds.

Natasha holds a BSc (Hons) in Physical Geography and an MSc in Applied GIS and Remote Sensing from the University of Southampton. During her undergraduate studies, her award-winning dissertation on climate change and sea-level impacts on soft cliff systems received national recognition, including the Alfred Steers Prize (Royal Geographical Society) and the Marjorie Sweeting Award (British Society for Geomorphology).

Before beginning her doctoral studies, Natasha worked as a corporate geospatial analyst in the City of London. She completed her DPhil in Environmental Research at the University of Oxford in 2024, funded by the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Doctoral Training Programme and Hertford College. Her doctoral research brought together field observations, satellite-derived data, and laboratory-based sediment analysis to investigate the physical and chemical surface controls on dust emission from Etosha Pan, Namibia – one of the southern hemisphere’s major mineral dust sources. Natasha’s work has involved collaborations with several international organisations, including NASA and the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Natasha’s current research includes global dust emission modelling, field- and space-based imaging spectroscopy, and surface mineral mapping of arid lake systems. Her broader interests lie in using remote sensing and geospatial tools to understand climate–landscape interactions, sediment dynamics, and environmental risk in dryland and coastal regions.

Natasha’s research focuses on the geomorphological and geochemical processes that shape arid landscapes, with particular emphasis on surface–atmosphere interactions in ephemeral lake basins. She combines field-based investigation, satellite Earth observation (e.g., MODIS, Landsat, EMIT), and sediment characterisation techniques to examine how dynamic surface conditions influence dust emission and sediment transport in dryland environments.

Her work develops spatial tools and time-series approaches to monitor surface change, erodibility, and hydrological variability across key dust source regions. By linking surface morphology and composition with aeolian activity, she addresses uncertainties in how episodic environmental changes control the timing, intensity, and location of dust emissions. This research supports the development of improved global dust models with implications for climate feedbacks, air quality, and land degradation.

Natasha’s research has involved collaborations with researchers at the University of Oxford, University of Sheffield, University of Southampton, Loughborough University, and the US Geological Survey (USGS). Her work has been supported by the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the British Society for Geomorphology, the International Association of Sedimentologists, and the Oxford John Fell Fund.

Natasha teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, specialising in geomorphology, Earth system science, and geospatial analysis. She is actively involved in curriculum design and delivery for the following courses:

Preliminary Examinations (First Year)

• Module Convenor and Lecturer for Geographical Techniques
• Module Convenor and Lecturer for Earth System Processes
• Lecturer for Geographical Controversies

Final Honours School (Second & Third Year)

• Module Convenor, Lecturer, and Tutor for Desert Landscapes and Dynamics
• Lecturer for Earth System Dynamics

In addition to classroom teaching, Natasha leads field-based research and training in coastal geomorphology during undergraduate field trips to Portland (Prelims) and Tenerife (FHS).

At Brasenose College, Natasha serves as undergraduate tutor, graduate advisor, and interviewer for undergraduate admissions in Geography. She also contributes to widening participation through the UNIQ summer school programme, delivering lectures and workshops to support access to Oxford for students from under-represented backgrounds.

Natasha supervises undergraduate, MSc, and DPhil students across the School of Geography and the Environment and Department of Biology. She supports projects in the fields of geomorphology, climate and hazards in arid regions, and the application of remote sensing and GIS for data analysis and visualisation. She is currently supervising several projects and welcomes additional supervision requests within her areas of expertise.

Current Graduate Research Students

A full list of Natasha’s research publications is available on Google Scholar.