Matthew Jull
University of Virginia, VA·Engineering
Arctic cities and towns are changing fast. The climate is warming, frozen ground is thawing, infrastructure is ageing, and economies and governments are under strain.
- Fields
Engineering
Earth & Environmental Science
Social Science
- Topics
Arctic
Alaska
earthquakes
- Grants
- 2 known grants, through Dec 2027
What they work on
- Assess how thawing permafrost changes the earthquake response of soils and foundations, combining monitoring of key Alaskan infrastructure with centrifuge physical modeling.
- Co-develop fair earthquake-resilience capacities with Arctic communities through surveys, interviews and participatory mapping workshops.
- Model community and state seismic resilience with systems dynamics modeling, alongside reviews of seismic design and climate adaptation planning.
- Expand a database of Arctic urban sustainability indicators covering environment, energy and socio-cultural conditions, adding historical data to examine trends over time.
- Conduct case studies of contrasting Arctic cities with Indigenous and other communities to find links among elements of urban sustainability.
More about the research
Much of Alaska is also prone to earthquakes. Two collaborative projects study how these pressures interact. They join engineering, social science and work with local and Indigenous communities to help Arctic places become more resilient and sustainable.
Why it matters
Arctic communities, including those in earthquake-prone Alaska, could gain better tools for planning, preparedness, mitigation and recovery from earthquake disasters as permafrost thaws. Mayors, city councils, agencies and residents of Arctic cities could also use the sustainability indicators. They could measure progress, find the most urgent needs, choose proven practices and decide where outside help would have the greatest effect.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
NNA Research: Collaborative Research: Arctic, Climate, and Earthquakes (ACE): Seismic Resilience and Adaptation of Arctic Infrastructure and Social Systems amid Changing Climate
NSF · Jan 2023 – Dec 2027
NNA Collaboratory: Collaborative Research: Arctic Cities: Measuring Urban Sustainability in Transition (MUST)
NSF · Oct 2021 – Sep 2027
Closest labs
Alexander Kholodov
University of Alaska Fairbanks, AK·Earth & Environmental Science
Measure long-term active-layer thickness, ground temperature and thaw subsidence at standardized sites along three climatic and ecological transects in northern Alaska, and compare how site conditions control seasonal thaw.
Vera Kuklina
University of Maryland, MD·Social Science
Identify and inventory the ice, snow and permafrost 'frozen commons' recognized by Indigenous and local communities and regional stakeholders, and describe how each is governed within its cultural setting.
Ming Xiao
Pennsylvania State University, PA·Engineering
Establish ground- and drone-based monitoring of permafrost change on Alaska's North Slope, and combine it with satellite remote sensing and image processing to track erosion and subsidence.
The school
University of Virginia: 43 labs on PI Pages, $814M a year on research, 413 research doctorates a year.
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