Professor Tim Burt

Contact Professor Tim Burt (email at t.p.burt@durham.ac.uk)

Biography

I retired in 2017 after twenty-one years as Master of Hatfield College and Professor of Geography. My research career has been largely in process hydrology and fluvial geomorphology. I continue to collaborate with Professor Fred Worrall in Earth Sciences and Dr Nicholas Howden (University of Bristol). Our research is focused on nutrient pollution, dissolved organic carbon and sediment transport with the analysis of long time series a particular interest. I also have an interest in climatic history, having worked extensively on records from the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford (records from 1767), and from the Durham Observatory (records from 1850). I continue to be responsible for the weather records at Durham: having previous been responsible for the Radcliffe (1986-96), this means I have run the two university weather stations with the longest records in the country. In 2019 I co-authored with Stephen Burt (no relation!) Oxford weather and climate since 1767 (Oxford University Press) and we are now beginning to turn our attention to the Durham weather records. I have another book currently in press (October 2019) entitled Curious about nature: a passion for fieldwork; this has been edited with Professor Des Thompson (Scottish Natural Heritage); a good number of Durham academics are amongst the fifty authors, writing about their experiences of fieldwork across a wide range from Cambrian geology (Professor David Harper, Van Mildert College and Earth Sciences) to urban graffiti in India (Stuart Corbridge, Vice-Chancellor). I am currently President of the Field Studies Council, having been a member of the Board of Trustees since 1982. I am an elected Fellow of the American Geophysical Union and the British Society for Geomorphology.

Research Interests

• Climate change
• Environmental monitoring and diagnostics including water quality, hillslope and fluvial processes
• Geomorphology
• Hillslope
• Integrated catchment management
• Soil erosion
• Water quality, in particular nutrient pollution

Selected Publications

Edited book

• Warburton, J. & Lane, S.N. (2006). Land Management and the Protection of the Water Environment: Understanding the Impact of New Legislation. Proceedings of the Ninth National Symposium. British Hydrological Society.

Chapter in book

• Pinay, G., Burt, T.P. & Gimiera, B. (2006). Floodplains in river ecosystems. In Biological Monitoring of Rivers. Ziglio, G., Siligardi, M. & Falim, G. Wiley.
• Anderson, M.G. & Burt, T.P. (2006). The role of topography in controlling throughflow generation. In Streamflow Generation Processes. Beven, K.J. Wallingford.: IHAS Press. 291-304.
• Burt, T.P. (2005). General/Particular. In Questioning Geography. Castree, N., Rogers, A.P. & Sherman, D. Blackwell. 117-130.
• Burt, T.P. & Slattery, M.C. (2005). Land use and land cover effects on runoff processes: agricultural effects. In Encyclopedia of Hydrological Sciences. John Wiley. Part 10..
• Burt, T.P. (2003). Realms of gold, wild surmise and wondering about physical geography. In Contemporary Meanings in Physical Geography. Trudgill, S.T. & Roy, A. London.: Arnold. 49-61.
• Burt, T.P. (2003). Scale: upscaling and downscaling in physical geography. In Key Concepts in Geography. Holloway, S.L., Rice, S.P. & Valentine, G. London.: Sage. 209-227.
• Burt, T.P., Warburton, J. & Allison, R.J. (2002). Eroding upland landscapes? Past, present and future perspectives. In The British Uplands: Dynamics of change. Burt, T.P., Thompson, D.B.A. & Warburton, J. Peterborough.: JNCC. 319: 60-66.
• Higgitt, D.L. & Warburton, J. (2002). GPS: A tool for mapping the uplands. In The British Uplands: Dynamics of Change. Burt, T.P., Thompson, D.B.A. & Warburton, J. JNCC. 134-135.
• Danks, M. & Warburton, J. (2002). Historical river channel change - Swinhope Burn, Upper Weardale. In The British Uplands: Dynamics of Change. Burt, T.P., Thompson, D.B.A. & Warburton, J. JNCC. 125-126.
• Burt, T.P. (2002). Hydrological processes in riparian buffer zones. In Proceedings of the International Workshop on Efficiency of Purification Processes in Riparian Buffer Zones. Hatano, R., Mander, U., Hayakawa, Y., Kuusemets, V., Watanabe, Y. & Kanazawa, K. National Agricultural Research Centre for Hokkaido. 1-11.
• A. Mills, J. Warburton & D.L. Higgitt (2002). Peat mass movements: a World and regional database. In The British Uplands: Dynamics of Change. T.P. Burt, D.B.A. Thompson & J. Warburton JNCC. 166-167.
• Johnson, R.M., Warburton, J. & Burt, T.P. (2002). Torrent erosion in Lake District mountain cathments. In The British Uplands: Dynamics of Change. Burt, T.P., Thompson, D.B.A. & Warburton, J. Peterborough.: JNCC. 319: 139-140.

Journal Article

• Boardman, John, Burt, Tim & Foster, Ian (2020). Monitoring soil erosion on agricultural land: results and implications for the Rother valley, West Sussex, UK. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 45(15): 3931-3942.
• Murphy, Conor, Broderick, Ciaran, Burt, Timothy P., Curley, Mary, Duffy, Catriona, Hall, Julia, Harrigan, Shaun, Matthews, Tom K. R., Macdonald, Neil, McCarthy, Gerard, McCarthy, Mark P., Mullan, Donal, Noone, Simon, Osborn, Timothy J., Ryan, Ciara, Sweeney, John, Thorne, Peter W., Walsh, Seamus & Wilby, Robert L. (2018). A 305-year continuous monthly rainfall series for the island of Ireland (1711–2016). Climate of the Past 14(3): 413-440.
• Burt, T. P., Ford Miniat, C., Laseter, S. H. & Swank, W. T. (2018). Changing patterns of daily precipitation totals at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, North Carolina, USA. International Journal of Climatology 38(1): 94-104.
• Burt, T.P., Jones, P.D. & Howden, N.J.K. (2015). An analysis of rainfall across the British Isles in the 1870s. International Journal of Climatology 35(10): 2934-2947.
• Burt, T.P., Howden, N.J.K., McDonnell, J.J., Jones, J.A. & Hancock, G.R. (2015). Seeing the climate through the trees: observing climate and forestry impacts on streamflow using a 60-year record. Hydrological Processes 29(3): 473-480.
• Burt, T.P., Worrall, F., Howden, N.J.K. & Anderson, M.G. (2015). Shifts in discharge-concentration relationships as a small catchment recover from severe drought. Hydrological Processes 29(4): 498-507.
• Burt, T.P., Howden, N.J.K. & Worrall, F. (2014). On the importance of very long-term water quality records. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water 1(1): 41-48.
• Burt, T.P. & Weerasinghe, K.D.N. (2014). Rainfall distributions in Sri Lanka in time and space: an analysis based on daily rainfall data. Climate 2(4): 242-263.
• Burt, T.P. & Howden, N.J.K. (2013). North Atlantic Oscillation amplifies orographic precipitation and river flow in upland Britain. Water Resources Research 49(6): 3504-3515.
• Burt, T.P. & Ferranti, E.J.S. (2012). Changing patterns of heavy rainfall in upland areas: a case study from northern England. International Journal of Climatology 32(2): 518-532.
• Howden, N.J.K., Burt, T.P., Mathias, S.A., Worrall, F. & Whelan, M.J. (2011). Modelling long-term diffuse nitrate pollution at the catchment-scale: Data, parameter and epistemic uncertainty. Journal of Hydrology 403(3-4): 337-351.
• Howden, N.J.K., Burt, T.P., Worrall, F., Mathias, S.A. & Whelan, M.J. (2011). Nitrate pollution in intensively farmed regions: What are the prospects for sustaining high-quality groundwater?. Water Resources Research 47(6): W00L02.
• Worrall, F, Burt, T.P., Rowson, J.G., Warburton, J & Adamson, J.K. (2009). The multi-annual carbon budget of a peat-covered catchment. Science of the Total Environment 407(13): 4084-4094.
• Worrall, F., Burt, T.P. & Adamson, J.K. (2007). Change in runoff initiation probability over a severe drought in a peat soil – Implications for flowpaths. Journal of Hydrology 345(1-2): 16-26.
• Holden, J., Shotbolt, L., Bonn, A., Burt, T.P., Chapman, P.J., Dougill, A.J., Fraser, E.D.G., Hubacek, K., Irvine, B., Kirkby, M.J., Reed, M.S., Prell, C., Stagl, S., Stringer, L.C., Turner, A. & Worrall, F. (2007). Environmental change in moorland landscapes. Earth-Science Reviews 82(1-2): 75-100.
• Burt, T.P. & Horton, B.P. (2007). Inter-decadal variability in daily rainfall at Durham (UK) since the 1850s. International Journal of Climatology 27: 945-956.
• Burt, T. & Worrall, F. (2007). Non-stationarity in long time series: some curious reversals in the "memory" effect. Hydrological Processes 21: 3529-3531.
• Pinay, G., Bumiero, B., Tabacchi, E., Gimenez, O, Tabacchi-Planty, A.M., Hefting, M.M., Burt, T.P., Black, V.A., Nilsson, C., Iordache, V., Bureau, F., Vought, L., Petts, G.E. & DéCamps, H. (2007). Patterns of denitrification rates in European alluvial soils under various hydrological regimes. Freshwater Biology 52: 252-266.
• Worrall, F., Burt, T.P., Adamson, J., Reed, M., Warburton, J., Armstrong, A. & Evans, M. (2007). Predicting the future carbon budget for an upland peat catchment. Climate Change
• Worrall, F & Burt, T.P. (2007). Trends in DOC concentration in Great Britain. Journal of Hydrology 346(1-2): 81-92.
• Worrall, F, Burt, T.P & Adamson, J (2006). Long-term changes in hydrological pathways in an upland peat catchment – recovery from severe drought? Journal of Hydrology 321: 5-20.
• Worrall, F, Burt, T.P & Adamson., J (2006). The rate of and controls upon DOC loss in a peat catchment. Journal of Hydrology 321: 311-325.
• Anderson, M.G. & Burt, T.P. (2006). The role of topography in controlling throughflow generation. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 29: 331-334.
• Burt, T.P. (2006). The weather at Durham in 2005. International Journal of Meteorology 31: 29-33.
• Burt, T.P. (2005). A third paradox in catchment hydrology and biogeochemistry: decoupling in the riparian zone. Hydrological Processes 19: 2087-2089.
• Worrall, F, Burt, T.P & Adamson, J. (2005). Fluxes of dissolved carbon dioxide and inorganic carbon from an upland peat catchment: implications for soil respiration. Biogeochemistry 73(3): 515-539.
• Burt, T.P. & Pinay, G. (2005). Linking hydrology and biogeochemistry in complex landscapes. Progress in Physical Geography 29(3): 297-316.
• Worrall, F. & Burt, T.P. (2005). Predicting the future DOC flux from upland catchments. Journal of Hydrology 300: 126-139.
• Worrall, F. & Burt, T.P. (2005). Reconstructing long-term records of dissolved CO2. Hydrological Processes 19: 1791-1806.
• Burt, T.P. (2005). The weather at Durham in 2004.
• Burt, T.P. (2004). Risky business. Geography Review 17(4): 2-5.
• Burt, T.P. (2004). The weather at Durham in 2003. Journal of Meteorology 29 (April): 137-140.
• Worrall, F & Burt, T.P. (2004). Time series analysis of long-term river dissolved organic carbon records. Hydrological processes 18(5): 893-911.
• Jung, M., Burt, T.P. & Bates, P.D. (2004). Toward a conceptual model of floodplain water table response. Water Resources Research 40(12): W12409.
• Worrall, F, Harriman, R, Evans, C.D., Watts, C, Adamson, J, Neal, C, Tipping, E, Burt, T.P, Grieve, I, Montieth, D, Naden, P.S, Nisbet, T, Reynolds, B & Stevens, P (2004). Trends in dissolved organic carbon in UK rivers and lakes. Biogeochemistry 70(3): 369-402.
• Hefting, M., Clement, J.C., Dowrick, D., Cosandey, A.C., Bernal, S., Cimpian, C., Tatur, A., Burt, T.P. & Pinay, G. (2004). Water table elevation controls on soil nitrogen cycling in riparian wetlands along a European climatic gradient. Biogeochemistry 67: 113-134.
• Worrall, F., Reed, M., Warburton, J. & Burt, T. (2003). Carbon budget for a British upland peat catchment. The Science of the Total Environment 312(1-3): 133-146.
• Worrall, F., Swank, W.T. & Burt, T.P. (2003). Changes in stream nitrate concentrations due to land management practices, ecological succession, and climate: developing a systems approach to integrated catchment response. Water Resources Research 39(7): art. no.-1177.
• Burt, T.P., Hanwell, J.D. & Burt, E.L. (2003). Follow the sun. Geography Review 16(3): 22-28.
• Holden, J. & Burt, T.P. (2003). Hydraulic conductivity in upland blanket peat: measurement and variability. Hydrological Processes 17(6): 1227-1237.
• Clement, J.C., Aquilina, L., Bour, O., Plaine, K., Burt, T.P. & Pinay, G. (2003). Hydrological flowpaths and nitrate removal rates within a riparian floodplain along a fourth-order stream in Brittany (France). Hydrological Processes 17(6): 1177-1195.
• Holden, J. & Burt, T.P. (2003). Hydrological studies on blanket peat: the significance of the acrotelm-catotelm model. Journal of Ecology 91(1): 86-102.
• Worrall, F., Burt, T.P. & Shedden, R.M. (2003). Long term records of riverine dissolved organic carbon. Biogeochemistry 64(2): 165-178.
• Burt, T.P. (2003). Monitoring change in hydrological systems. Science of the Total Environment 310(1-3): 9-16.
• Sabater, S., Butturini, A., Clement, J.C., Burt, T.P., Dowrick, D., Hefting, M., Maitre, V., Pinay, G., Postolache, C., Rzepecki, M. & Sabater, F. (2003). Nitrogen removal by riparian buffers along a European climatic gradient: patterns and factors of variation. Ecosystems 6: 20-30.
• Holden, J. & Burt, T.P. (2003). Runoff production in blanket peat covered catchments. Water Resources Research 39(7): art. no.-1191.
• Burt, T.P. (2003). Some observations on slope development in South Wales: Savigear and Kirkby revisited. Progress in Physical Geography 27(4): 581-595.
• Merot, P., Squividant, H., Aurousseau, P., Hefting, M., Burt, T.P., Maitre, V., Kruk, M., Butturini, A., Thenail, C. & Viaud, V. (2003). Testing a climato-topographic index for predicting wetlands distribution along an European climate gradient. Ecological Modelling 162: 51-71.
• T.P. Burt & B.P. Horton (2003). The climate of Malham Tarn. Field Studies 10: 635-652.
• Burt, T.P. (2003). The greenhouse effect. Geography Review 17(1): 22-25.
• Burt, T.P. (2003). The weather in Durham in 2002. Journal of Meteorology 28: 148-151.
• Heppell, C.M., Worrall, F., Burt, T.P. & Williams, R.J. (2002). A classification of drainage and macropore flow in an agricultural catchment. Hydrological Processes 16(1): 27-46.
• Holden, J., Burt, T.P. & Vilas, M. (2002). Application of ground penetrating radar to the identification of subsurface piping in blanket peat. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 27(3): 235-249.
• Burt, T.P. (2002). Durham University Observatory: Daily Meteorological Observations 2002.
• Matheson, F.E., Nguyen, M.L., Cooper, A.B., Burt, T.P. & Bull, D.C. (2002). Fate of N-15-nitrate in unplanted, planted and harvested riparian wetland soil microcosms. Ecological Engineering 19(4): 249-264.
• Park, S.J. & Burt, T.P. (2002). Identification and characterization of pedogeomorphological processes on a hillslope. Soil Science Society of America Journal 66(6): 1897-1910.
• Holden, J. & Burt, T.P. (2002). Infiltration, runoff and sediment production in blanket peat catchments: implications of field rainfall simulation experiments. Hydrological Processes 16(13): 2537-2557.
• Jenns, N., Heppell, C.M., Burt, T.P., Walden, J. & Foster, I.D.L. (2002). Investigating contemporary and historical sediment inputs to Slapton Higher Ley: an analysis of the robustness of source ascription methods when applied to lake sediment data. Hydrological Processes 16(17): 3467-3486.
• Holden, J. & Burt, T.P. (2002). Laboratory experiments on drought and runoff in blanket peat. European Journal of Soil Science 53(4): 675-689.
• Holden, J. & Burt, T.P. (2002). Piping and pipeflow in a deep peat catchment. Catena 48(3): 163-199.
• Worrall, F., Burt, T.P., Jaeban, R.Y., Warburton, J. & Shedden, R. (2002). Release of dissolved organic carbon from upland peat. Hydrological Processes 16(17): 3487-3504.
• Burt, T.P. (2002). The weather in Durham in 2001. Journal of Meteorology 27: 143-147.
• Burt, T.P., Pinay, G., Matheson, F.E., Haycock, N.E., Butturini, A., Clement, J.C., Danielescu, S., Dowrick, D.J., Hefting, M.M., Hillbricht-Ilkowska, A. & Maitre, V. (2002). Water table fluctuations in the riparian zone: comparative results from a pan-European experiment. Journal of Hydrology 265(1-4): 129-148.
• Burt, T.P., Bates,P.D., Stewart, M.D., Claxton, A.J., Anderson, M.G. & Price, D.A. (2002). Water table fluctuations within the floodplain of the River Severn, England. Journal of Hydrology 262: 1-20.
• Burt, T.P. (2001). Integrated management of sensitive catchment systems. Catena 42(2-4): 275-290.
• Worrall, F. & Burt, T.P. (2001). Inter-annual controls on nitrate export from an agricultural catchment - How much land-use change is safe?. Journal of Hydrology 243(3-4): 228-241.
• Holden, J., Burt, T.P. & Cox, N.J. (2001). Macroporosity and infiltration in blanket peat: the implications of tension disc infiltrometer measurements. Hydrological Processes 15(2): 289-303.
• Burt, T.P. & Horton, B.P. (2001). The natural history of the Slapton Ley national nature reserve XXIII: the climate of Slapton Ley. Field Studies 10(1): 93-114.

Conference Paper

• Widdison, P.E., Burt, T.P., Donoghue, D.N.M. & Hudson, R. (2006), Farmers' responses to water quality problems in the Leet Water Catchment, in Burt, T.P. & Lane, S.N. eds, Land Management and the Protection of the Water Environment: Understanding the Impact of New Legislation Ninth National Symposium, British Hydrological Society. Durham, British Hydrological Society, 135-141.
• Burt, T.P. (2006), Linking hydrology and biogeochemistry in complex landscapes: implications for diffuse nitrate pollution, in Burt, T.P. & Lane, S.N. eds, Ninth National Symposium, British Hydrological Society. 15-20.
• Dugdale, L., Lane, S.N., Brown, J., Burt, T.P. & Maltby, A. (2006), Salmonids and scales: investigating the impact of land management on salmonid populations within a hierarchical framework through the use of remote sensing and GIS, in Burt, T.P. & Lane, S.N. eds, Land Management and the Proection of the Water Environment: Understanding the Impact of New Legislation Ninth National Symposium, British Hydrological Society. Durham, British Hydrological Society, 27-35.

Conference Proceeding

• Widdison, P.E., Burt, T.P., Donoghuem D.N.M. & Hudson, R. (2006). Responses to water quality problems in the Leet catchment. SAC and SEPA Biennial Conference, Edinburgh..
• Widdison, P.E., Hudson, R. & Burt, T.P. (2004). Water Framework Directive: Implications for Farmers in the Leet Water Catchment. SAC and SEPA Biennial Conference, Edinburgh..

Report

• Burt, T.P., Thompson, D.B.A. & Warburton, J. (2002). The British Uplands: Dynamics of Change. JNCC Report 319. Peterborough, UK, Joint Nature Conservation Committee.

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Media Contacts

Available for media contact about:

• Admissions & college affairs: college admissions
• General issues: general environmental issues
• Landscape & buildings: geomorphology
• Seas & rivers: river hydrology and geomorphology
• Weather & climate: weather observation
• Weather & climate: recent climate history
• Pollution: pollution transport in agricultural catchments
• Pollution: nitrate
• Pollution: phosphate
• Engineering: Other contexts: soil conservation and buffer zone management

Selected Grants