Dr. James M. Thornton



Interdisciplinary Mountain Hydrogeologist & Environmental Scientist



Topical Editor, Earth System Science Data ｜ Fellow, Royal Geographical Society

Welcome!

James Thornton

I am an interdisciplinary hydrogeologist with past & ongoing activities in the following areas:

      
  • Simulation of complex mountain hydrological systems using integrated, physics-based surface-subsurface flow models
      
  • Alpine fieldwork
      
  • Spatial data processing, analysis, and digital cartography (using open-source software)
      
  • Research network coordination
      
  • Quantification of natural catastrophe hazard & risk for (re)insurance applications

Journal Articles:

  • *A 3D geological model of a structurally complex Alpine region as a basis for interdisciplinary research

  • *Efficient multi-objective calibration and uncertainty analysis of distributed snow simulations in rugged alpine terrain

  • *Simulating fully-integrated hydrological dynamics in complex Alpine headwaters: potential and challenges

  • *Toward a definition of Essential Mountain Climate Variables

  • *Coverage of in situ climatological observations in the world's mountains

  • *Human populations in the world’s mountains: Spatio-temporal patterns and potential controls

  • Climate changes and their elevational patterns in the mountains of the world



    • * denotes first author. In addition, my PhD thesis is available here



    Manuscripts in press:


    Schmeller, D.S., Thornton, J.M., Alexander, J., Jetz, W., Kulonen, A., Mills, R.T.E., Notornicola, C., Palazzi, E., Pauli, H., Randin, C., Rosbakh, S., Sayre, R., Tehrani, N.A., Urbach, D., Verbiest, W.W.M., Walker, T.W.N., Wipf, S. and Adler, C. Towards a set of Essential Biodiversity Variables as a global framework for assessing change in mountains. BioScience


    Thornton, J.M.,. Mountain streamflow threatened by irreversible simulated groundwater declines. Nature Water (News & Views). doi: 10.1038/s44221-024-00243-4


    Manuscript under review:


    van Tiel, M., Aubry-Wake, C., Somers, L., Andermann, C., Avanzi, F., Baraer, M., Daigre C., Chiogna G., Das, S., Drenkhan, F., Farinotti, D., Fyffe, C., de Graaf, I., Hanus, S., Immerzeel, W., Koch, F., McKenzie, J., Müller, T., Popp, A.L., Saidaliyeva, Z., Schaefli, B., Schilling, O.S., Teagai, K., Thornton, J.M. and Yapiyev, V. Cryosphere–groundwater connectivity is a missing link in the mountain water cycle. Nature Water


Experience & Education:

MRI
2020 – Present

Senior Research Scientist & Coordinator, GEO Mountains

UniNE
2016 – 2020

PhD Candidate, Centre for Hydrogeology & Geothermics


Prix Adrien Gébhard-Séverine for an excellent doctoral thesis in hydrogeology

JBA
2012 – 2016

Catastrophe Model Developer & Risk Analyst (full-time)

JBA
2014 – 2016

Master of Science (by Research), Department of Geography (part-time)

JBA
2009 – 2012

Bachelor of Science (First Class Honours), School of Geographical Sciences


The Haggett Prize for best performance in final undergraduate examinations

Presentations & Outreach

Presentations, Outreach, Service & Code:

Selected Presentations:

Service & Distinctions:

      

  • 2024: Local Scientific Organising Committee Member, World Groundwater Congress IAH2024, Davos, Switzerland
      
  • 2023: Future Earth Early Career Fellowship, which supports outstanding early-career scholars to pursue research related to sustainable development
      
  • 2022: WRR Editors’ Choice Award, indicating extremely high quality and significance (paper considered by the Editors of Water Resources Research to be in the top ~1% of the journal's papers published in that calendar year)
      
  • 2022: Session Convenor, International Mountain Conference (IMC) 2022, Innsbruck, Austria
      
  • Since 2022: Topical Editor, Earth System Science Data
      
  • Since 2021: Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS)
      
  • 2021: Contributing Author, Cross-Chapter Paper "Mountains", Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (WGII, AR6)
      
  • 2020: Prix Adrien Gébhard-Séverine for an excellent doctoral thesis in hydrogeology, Faculty of Science, University of Neuchâtel
      
  • Since 2016: Regular reviewer for several leading journals including Water Resources Research, Nature Water, Journal of Hydrology, One Earth, Groundwater & Scientific Data
      
  • 2012: The Haggett Prize for best performance in final undergraduate examinations, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol
      
  • 2011: Level 5 Award in Management and Leadership (Chartered Management Institute, UK)

Outreach:

Open-Source Code:

Projects

Selected Projects:

  • IntergrAlp



    • GEO Mountains



      • Adaptation at Altitude



Contact

Contact:


Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions, or would like to discuss possible collaboration or consultancy.



james.thornton [at] unibe.ch