Dr. Colin Kretz Bloom

I am interested in a wide range of geospatial problems facing resource managers, from the effects of extreme drought on forest health, to geomorphic change following tsunami, to the influence of earthquakes on landslide distributions. My research draws from a variety of disciplines and almost always incorporates large empirical datasets and spatial analysis.

In my current role at WSL, I am using field observations and remote sensing to identify drought effects on Swiss forests and examining the effect of forest structure on drought stress. I am interested in collaboration and I encourage you to reach out if you think our interests may align well.

I currently have openings for MSc projects as a part of Forest-LENS which investigates the effects of forest structure and managment on drought related tree stress and mortality.

Please see my LinkedIn page for a complete list of previous experience.

Recent positions:

2026 to Present: Scientific Staff Member at WSL

2023 to 2026: Postdoc in Spatial Modelling of Drought Effects on Forests at WSL

2022 to 2023: Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand

2019 to 2022: PhD in Geology at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand

2017 to 2019: Staff Geologist at Golder Associates (now WSP), United States

Please see this link for a complete publication list.

Select publications:

Bloom C.K., Koch T.L., Bose A.K., Paganini R., Scherrer D., Meusburger K., Walthert L., Rohner B., Frei E.R., Brun P., Wohlgemuth T., Ferretti M., Baltensweiler A., 2026, Spatial and temporal patterns of early leaf discoloration in Switzerland's European beech forests. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2026.105394

Bloom, C.K., Koch T.L., Meusburger, K., Zweifel, R., Walthert, L., Etzold, S., Scherrer, D., Wilhelm, M., Kahmen, A., Baltensweiler, A., 2025, Towards near real-time drought stress assessment in Europe’s temperate forests – comparing remote sensing time series with continuous in-situ tree-level measurements: Ecological Indicators. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2025.113757

Singeisen, C., Wolter, A., Massey, C., Stahl, T., Bloom, C., 2025, Unravelling coseismic rock slope failures in closely jointed Torlesse greywacke: Insights from numerical modelling: Engineering Geology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108215

Singeisen, C., Massey, C., Wolter, A., Stahl, T., Kellett R., Bruce, Z., Bloom, C., Mason, D., 2024, Evolution of an earthquake-induced landslide complex in South Island, New Zealand: how fault damage zones and seismicity contribute to slope failures: Geosphere. https://doi.org/10.1130/GES02668.1

Bloom, C.K., Singeisen, C., Stahl, T., Howell, A., and Massey, C., 2023, Earthquake Contributions to Coastal Cliff Retreat: Earth Surface Dynamics. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-757-2023

Bloom, C.K., Singeisen, C., Stahl, T., Massey, C., Howell, A., and Mason D., 2023, Coastal earthquake induced landslide susceptibility during the 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikōura earthquake, New Zealand: Natural Hazards and Earth Systems Sciences. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-2987-2023

Bloom, C.K., Howell, A., Stahl, T., Massey, C., and Singeisen, C., 2022, The influence of off-fault deformation zones on the near-fault distribution of coseismic landslides: Geology. https://doi.org/10.1130/G49429.1

Singeisen, C., Massey, C., Wolter, A., Kellet, R., Bloom, C., Stahl, T., Gasston, C., and Jones, K., 2022, Mechanisms of rock slope failures triggered by the 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikōura earthquake and implications for landslide susceptibility: Geomorphology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2022.108386

Bloom, C., Stahl, T., and Howell, A., 2021, Distributed displacement on the Papatea fault from the 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikōura earthquake and implications for hazard planning: New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288306.2021.1975777

Bloom, C.K., MacInnes, B., Higman, B., Shugar, D.H., Venditti, J.G., Richmond, B., and Bilderback, E.L., 2020, Catastrophic landscape modification from a massive landslide tsunami in Taan Fiord, Alaska: Geomorphology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2019.107029

Higman, B., et al., 2018, The 2015 landslide and tsunami in Taan Fiord, Alaska: Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-30475-w

Golombek, M., et al., 2017, Selection of the InSight landing site: Space Science Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-016-0321-9