Role
Dr Nicholas Midgley is a Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography and is the module leader for:
- Geographical Fieldwork - the focus of this first year module is fieldwork in the Almería region of SE Spain and integrates a range of contemporary issues in both physical and human geography.
- Environmental Change (Fieldwork) - the focus of this second year module is fieldwork in north Wales assessing geomorphological and sedimentological evidence for environmental change, contemporary landscape change and evolution, challenges managing the Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, and evolving energy generation mix in the content of carbon emissions.
- Glaciers and Glaciation - this module covers aspects of glacial thermal regime, hydrology, mass balance and glacial hazards, surge-type glaciers, and the impact of climate change on the cryosphere
Dr Midgley also contributes to teaching on modules including: Global Environmental Issues, Principles and Practice in Geography, and Dissertation. In addition, Dr Midgley is a personal tutor for first year, second year, and final year cohorts.
Career overview
Dr Midgley undertook his PhD at Liverpool John Moores University and subsequently worked as a Lecturer in the same department before completing a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) and joining Nottingham Trent University.
Research areas
Dr Midgley's research interests include using drones/UAV for aerial surveying (with Structure-from-Motion image processing) to assess environmental change, TLS surveying (for surface change over time), lake bathymetric survey, subsurface structure (using ground-penetrating radar) and geomorphology.
Dr Midgley is currently working on six research projects:
- Tussac grass restoration in the Falkland Islands (fieldwork undertaken at sites in the Falklands in 2025 and planned for 2026).
- Geomorphological impact of Lupinus nootkatensis in Iceland (fieldwork planned for 2025).
- Braided channel dynamics (fieldwork undertaken at Ennerdale as a long-term monitoring programme undertaken in 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019, 2018, and 2016).
- Assessing marine litter on the coasts of Scotland (fieldwork undertaken on the Isle of Skye in 2025, 2024 and 2023).
- Impact of climate change on glacier margins in SE Iceland (fieldwork undertaken in 2024, 2022, 2019, and 2017).
- Peat erosion at blanket bog sites (fieldwork undertaken at sites in the Falkland Islands (2024, 2023, and 2022), UK (2023 and 2022), Ireland (2023 and 2022), Norway (2023 and 2022), and Canada (2023).
To assist with drone/UAV use for teaching and research purposes, Dr Midgley has held a UK CAA Permission for Commercial Operation (PfCO) (2015—2020) and now holds a UK CAA A2 class Certificate of Competence (A2 CofC) (2020—2025) for drone/UAV use in the UK and an EASA class A1/A3 approval for drone/UAV use in the EU (2024—2029) (issued by the Icelandic Transport Authority / Samgöngustofa).
Postgraduate research students:
- Saskia Goeckeritz (2023—date) An assessment of environmental and anthropogenic pressures on peatland surfaces.
- Thomas Clewer (2022—date) Global assessment of fire management on peatland environments.
- Anne Stefaniak (PhD completed 2021) Debris-covered glaciers: Assessing dynamics of European Alpine and Nepalese Himalayan examples.
- Guaduneth Chico León (PhD completed 2020) An investigation of the potential of geospatial technologies to monitor and quantify changes in peatland surfaces.
- Dora Vataroglou (PhD completed 2018) Colonisation of the glacier foreland of Svínafellsjökull in SE Iceland by Lupinus nootkatensis.
- Toby Tonkin (PhD completed 2016) Structural characteristics of lateral-frontal moraines developed at Arctic and alpine glaciers.
- Helen O’Brien (PhD completed 2009) The role of blanket peat moorland management in the generation and amelioration of discolouration of surface water supplies.
Opportunities to carry out postgraduate research towards an MPhil / PhD exist and further information may be obtained from the NTU Doctoral School.
External activity
- Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
- Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS)
- Member of the Quaternary Research Association
Dr Midgley has recently undertaken reviews for the following journals: Nature Climate Change, Geomorphology, Remote Sensing, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, and others.
Sponsors and collaborators
Dr Midgley is currently collaborating with colleagues at:
- Loughborough University
- University of Dundee
- University of Lincoln
- University of Northampton
- Canterbury Christ Church University
Publications
Most recent publication:
Jennings SJA, Hambrey MJ, Glasser NF, Hubbard B, James TD, Midgley NG. (2025) Structural characteristics of flow units in Svalbard valley glaciers and their utility for investigating ice-dynamic changes over centennial timescales. Journal of Glaciology, 71:e26. doi:10.1017/jog.2024.103
Press expertise
- Using UAV/drones to undertake aerial surveys
- Peatland geomorphology and erosion
- Glaciers, glacial sediment and glacial geomorphology
- Ground-penetrating radar use in glacial settings
- Glacier mice (jöklamýs or jökla-mýs)