Qiuyang Chen

I am a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Plymouth, contributing to the NERC-funded project SUPERSLUG: Deconstructing sediment superslugs as a legacy of extreme flows. I joined Plymouth in October 2024 after completing my PhD at the University of Edinburgh. My research combines remote sensing, fluvial geomorphology, and machine learning to improve how we observe, quantify, and interpret sediment and channel dynamics at scale. I develop approaches that translate geomorphic patterns in satellite imagery into process-relevant signals, enabling basin-scale analysis across diverse river systems. Currently, I apply these methods to study the 2021 Chamoli catastrophe in the Himalaya, focusing on sediment transport pathways, downstream plume evolution, and the broader legacy effects of extreme sediment-laden flows. My current work is carried out in close collaboration with Dr Matt Westoby, Professor Stuart Dunning, and colleagues across the SUPERSLUG project.