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Data from large earthquakes are critical to understand how the ground will shake in future large quakes on similar faults world-wide.
May 25, 2025
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Prof. Motti Zohar
School of Environmental Sciences
Environmental History & Geospatial Information Sciences
Biography
Motti Zohar is an associate professor at the School of Environmental Sciences, University of Haifa, and an expert in Environmental History and Geographic Information Science (GIScience). Since 2021, he has led the GIScience Environmental Lab, spearheading interdisciplinary research that integrates historical and environmental scenarios with advanced geospatial methodologies. Professor Zohar serves as a research member of the Climate and Environmental Sustainability Center, the National Knowledge and Research Center for Emergency Readiness and the Chaikin Chair for Geostrategy where he contributes to the understanding of the interplay between environmental processes, societal change, and historical contexts. His work is renowned for studying natural hazards, such as earthquakes, extreme climate conditions and floods, and their historical impacts on human societies by employing GIScience, computer vision, and earth observation. He specializes in reconstructing historical landscapes and scenarios (in 2D and 3D geospatial modelling) to interrogate human-environment interactions. In his studies he integrates between archival texts and accounts with old cartographic material such as maps, drawings and photos to shed light on environmental transformations over time.
In addition to his research, Professor Zohar has taken on significant roles in academic administration and service. He has been a member of the editorial boards of prestigious journals, where he has also guest-edited special issues focusing on Geographic Information Science and its applications in environmental and historical studies. He has served as a reviewer for competitive grants and high-impact international journals and institutes. Since his affiliation, he has mentored undergraduate students during their first steps at the university and supervised MA/PhD students as well as post-docs fellows. Beyond academia, Professor Zohar is a trusted consultant for both public and private sector organizations. His expertise has been instrumental in projects addressing mitigation of natural disasters, urban resilience, disaster preparedness, and spatial analyses of historical and contemporary environments. He has collaborated with organizations such as the Israel Science Foundation, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and international academic initiatives, bridging the gap between academic research and real-world applications.
Prior to his academic career, Professor Zohar worked in the IT industry where he served as an enterprise system analyst and project manager of GIS Software systems development. He was involved in several startups, driving their growth through innovative software development and strategic implementation of emerging technologies. He earned his BA (1998) and PhD (2016) from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an MA from Tel Aviv University (2006). His postdoctoral fellowship in the physical geography department at the Freie University of Berlin (2016–2018) provided an invaluable platform to refine his geospatial methodologies and apply them to environmental history themes. He wrote dozens of scientific papers and regularly shares his findings at local and international conferences, where his work has garnered widespread recognition. He is currently involved in projects related to environmental history themes, specifically on natural hazards and their impact on ancient societies.
Research Interests
- Geospatial Information Science for examining the interplay between the human & natural environments
- Spatiotemporal patterns associate with the occurrences of natural hazards and risks
- The development of GIScience themes, approaches & geoanalytics tools
- Earth observation for monitoring natural and human induced processes
- Landscapes & historical scenes reconstruction using GeoAI
- Interrogation of old cartographic material (e.g., maps, drawings, photographs and air photos)
Go to Prof. Zohar’s webpages:
Latest News
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In their latest publication in the journal Natural Hazards, Amos Salamon, Rachid Omira, Motti Zohar, and Maria Ana Baptista explore the mysteries surrounding the devastating 551 AD earthquake and subsequent tsunami
March 12, 2025
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Highlights
From the Spotlight
GIScience, GIS, and Geoinformatics: understanding the differences
The terms Geographic Information Science (GIScience), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Geoinformatics are frequently used interchangeably, often leading to confusion among researchers, professionals, and students in the field of spatial sciences. However, these terms refer to distinct concepts, each with its own scope, purpose, and application. This discussion aims to clarify the differences and relationships between them.
The term GIScience was first introduced by Michael Goodchild in his seminal 1992 paper, where he defined it as an independent scientific discipline that examines the theoretical foundations, principles, and methodologies underlying the acquisition, management, analysis, and visualization of spatial data. GIScience extends beyond the mere use of GIS software and tools—it encompasses fundamental research on spatial analysis, geostatistics, spatial cognition, spatial data infrastructures, and the social and ethical implications of geographic data. It addresses questions such as how spatial patterns emerge, how geographic information can be effectively represented, and how computational techniques can enhance spatial decision-making.