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simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
Simon Mudd
@simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
950 followers 550 following 84 posts
geomorphologist
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simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
Top tip:
Click on settings to turn off AI slop
November 7, 2025 at 10:27 AM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
For the love of God please stop
An image of asinine AI slop questions being relentlessly flogged beneath my search bar.
November 7, 2025 at 9:56 AM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
On a different document in the consultation package they are proposing a path that is 3m wide across Roseburn Terrace Bridge.

www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/fi...
Design drawings for a new bridge at Roseburn Terrace with two tram tracks and an active travel path that is 4000 mm wide
August 26, 2025 at 3:33 PM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
It is fun when your code spits out something psychedelic
A red and blue bit of abstract art. You can vaguely make out something that looks like a channel network in the blues.
March 14, 2025 at 5:05 PM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
We know this will be upsetting to many colleagues, if you are struggling please see our Staff Wellbeing Sharepoint
A screengrab of Kier Starmer with the closed caption "there's a famous slogan in the United Kingdom"
February 28, 2025 at 11:12 AM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
Hey British academics! While we await the latest job cut email, lets look at our pension (or those of us in USS). The Financial Times had a nice plot about Local Government Pension Schemes. The worst one (by far) lost 18.3% for a yr to March 2023. Awful!! Lets have a look at the performance of USS 😱
Plot from the Financial Times (https://www.ft.com/content/87c321ab-e5ac-4a1d-a637-c1f7befcc1cb) showing performance of Local Government Pension schemes for the 12 months to March 2023. The worst performing scheme was a closed Environment Agency scheme that lost 18.3% The next worst lost 10%. Image from the USS 2023 annual report (https://www.uss.co.uk/-/media/project/ussmainsite/files/about-us/report-and-accounts/uss-report-and-accounts-2023.pdf?rev=ad96ac2875264986bc7386ce1f82f108&hash=5A67B41B27A7B876F0BF0CF7A853FC0D). In the 12 months to March 31 2023, USS income builder (the defined benefit part of the scheme) lost 18%.
February 25, 2025 at 3:47 PM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
I'm quite pleased with this effort.
Image from the book Grove Karl Gilbert, A Great Engine of Research By Stephen J. Pyne. Image shows an engraving of Gilbert working at Lake Bonneville in Utah. One can see the old lake bed as well as hills in the distance. An oil painting of Lake Bonneville with hills in the background. Painting by Simon M Mudd. Hills and lake bed are in various yellow, red and brown hues, with a blue sky.
January 1, 2025 at 5:11 PM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
Enjoy some photos of Joshua Tree.
Split rock (a granite rock formation that has a large, uh, split rock) at Joshua Tree national Park. Sunrise over rock formations at Joshua Tree The face of the photographer in front of rock formations at Joshua tree
December 28, 2024 at 2:03 PM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
5 points to whomever can identify my current position.
A stunning bronze sculpture of a man holding a microphone and bagpipes. I cannot reveal the name of this person or it would make the quiz too easy
December 8, 2024 at 11:16 AM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
My river network template is working to my satisfaction. All you need is an @opentopography.bsky.social account and a web browser. You can scroll through the notebook to see how to update location, your name, comment, sizes, etc. Have fun!

github.com/LSDtopotools...
Image of a river network surrounding the Dadu River, China. Image includes two basemaps. Image generated using a template written by Simon Mudd using lsdtopotools and lsdviztools.
November 26, 2024 at 10:28 AM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
I'm experimenting with an (almost) fully automated notebook for making channel network images.
A channel network map of mountains to the east of Taskhent. Includes a regional map and a globe to see where the site is.
November 25, 2024 at 5:45 PM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
If you are in the UK, you might have heard UK universities are in trouble, and are particularly sensitive to swings in international student numbers. How sensitive? Here is University of Edinburgh's numbers up to 31 July 2023 (the most recent numbers). Tuition fees make up ~40% of its income.
Table showing student figures for the University of Edinburgh based on domicile. There are 12905 Scottish students, 11245 English students, 9080 Chinese students, 3035 students from the USA, 990 from India, 755 from Canada, and between 545 and 200 for many other countries. Tuition fee income from the University of Edinburgh for the year ending 31 July 2023. "home domicile" students (this means students from Scotland) brought in £27.5M. These students make up the largest number of students at the university. International students brought in £355M.
November 25, 2024 at 1:23 PM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
Can I highly recommend the Earth View extension if you use Chrome. You get a new satellite image every time you open a tab. Coastal geomorphologists: I challenge you to construct an environmental history from this (@61.784147,-80.118452, Nunavut, Canada).
Coastline in Nunavut, Canada. Multiple instances of sand spits and beach traces.
November 21, 2024 at 10:34 AM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
As of July 31st 2023 there was £456M in cash, and EBITDA of 10.7% (this was the headline in the 2023 annual statement).

Looks like 2024 annual statement will also report a big surplus.
www.docs.sasg.ed.ac.uk/GaSP/Governa...

But a big drop in international students in 24/25 would be bad
Text from university court minutes: Lee Hamill, Director of Finance summarised key points from his report. In broad terms, the financial position at Quarter 3 reflected that at Quarter 2. The University’s reported surplus was expected to be substantial, due in large part to the consequences for the University of the recent shift in the USS pension from deficit to surplus, as a result of wider economic conditions. It was recognised that this created a communications challenge, with publicly-reported headline figures expected to be misaligned with the underlying financial position. The size of the forecast shortfall against targeted EBITDA was discussed. It was noted that, given the nature of University activity, the scope for in-year adjustments to either income or expenditure was limited and that the planning and budgeting process (as covered in Paper D2), along with longer-term structural changes, offered much greater potential for re-balancing.
November 18, 2024 at 5:33 PM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
He looks like this (the image is a drawing, not a photo. I was not able to get a photograph of him).
A stunning photorealistic image, drawn in microsoft paint, of a man on a fast electric scooter, wearing a kilt over a cookie monster onesie. Based on a real-life person seen in Edinburgh this morning.
November 13, 2024 at 12:21 PM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
Light over Edinburgh is amazing right now. Everyone on the street is stopping to take photos.
Sunset in Edinburgh. Photo looking West to Edinburgh Castle. Clouds are a mixture of orange, pink and yellow. The scene would be stunning I the hands of a competent photographer, which I am not.
November 11, 2024 at 4:32 PM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
Hiking up hills in the highlands can be hard work but views like this make it all worthwhile.
A metal shed with grafitti in thick fog at the top of a Scottish hill.
November 2, 2024 at 2:05 PM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
Northwest Slovenia, what a place. What a place to have wall-to-wall lidar
A hillshade image of Northwest Slovenia, derived from lidar data made available by the Slovenian government
October 24, 2024 at 4:49 PM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
Spelling impaired salmon 4 u
A heart-wrenching image of a salmon, who has trouble spelling, looking at sediment transport on a river bed. World famous geomorphologist Rebecca Hodge also looks at sediment transport, but unlike the salmon, is not a fish. The detailing on the salmon is stunning, and the artist has rendered the pebbles in astonishing detail. Superbly designed swirls give the image a feeling of vivid motion. Amongst the top 10 Microsoft Paint drawings ever made.
October 22, 2024 at 9:55 AM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
here is a sediment bomb cat 4 u
A heart-wrenching depiction of a cat looking at a "sediment bomb", accumulations of sediments in high mountains that can be released in extreme events, a term coined by Kirsten Cook, the famous geomorphologist. The drawing is so beautiful it is difficult not to have an extreme emotional response when looking at it. Possibly in the top 10 best Microsoft Paint drawings of all time.
October 22, 2024 at 9:31 AM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
Please enjoy some photos of the Lairig Ghru
Photo of a sublime Scottish corrie The valley near the Corrour bothy. A Scottish waterfall
September 19, 2024 at 11:43 AM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
Update on the state of academia in the UK, courtesy of Linkedin
Linkedin thinks people who are currently professors should switch careers to be a meeting and events porter
April 25, 2024 at 10:51 AM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
Beinn Each.
Glacial valley and meandering river viewed from Beinn Each Loch and valley from high in the hills. Ben Ledi in the distance. Scottish Highlands through clouds. A snow-covered Ben Lomond in the far distance.
March 19, 2024 at 10:52 AM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
This stuff is called pepper dulse. Also known as "the truffle of the sea".
Friends, it tastes **strongly** of truffle.
Pepper dulse (a purple seaweed). Very tasty if you like truffle
March 19, 2024 at 10:46 AM
simonmariusmudd.bsky.social
Please enjoy some Scottish hillwalking content. Goatfell, Arran
Looking across a river at Goatfell View from top of Goatfell. Other summits in clouds. A ridgeline in clouds A glacial valley
March 19, 2024 at 10:40 AM