Profile

I’m a volcanologist. I am interested in how volcanoes behave when they erupt.  I am particularly interested in the different types of flows that come out of volcanoes during the biggest eruptions. These include flows of mud and water, but also flows of hot gas, ash and rocks (these are called pyroclastic density currents – that’s a mouthful!). These type of flows are what buried the roman town of Pompeii when Mount Vesuvius erupted. I try to understand more about these flows by studying the deposits they leave behind. I study the deposits in detail, record what they look like and make interpretations on the kinds of flows that I think formed them. I even spent 2 months living on a scientific drilling ship studying submarine volcanoes underneath the Pacific Ocean.  I brought back samples from these volcanoes to the lab where I crush rocks and analyse what the chemical composition of them is. This tells me about how the rock was made, and what the magma chamber underneath the volcano might be like.

I’m always waffling about what I do all over the internet. I’m on Twitter (@volcanologist), on YouTube and on my blog.

I start work at 8 am and prepare for the day ahead in my office . If it is during term time, I would be teaching our undergraduate students about geology and physical geography.  I might be lecturing on plate tectonics, or landslides, or my favourite topic-volcanoes! Here we are simulating a volcanic eruption using liquid nitrogen! I would also meet my research students – these are undergraduate students who are doing projects with me on a variety of topics from volcanoes to forensic geology. I would also try and fit in some research. This might mean looking at thin slices of rock under a microscope to see what minerals the rock is made of, or I might be crushing and dissolving rocks to try and find out their chemical make-up.  During the university vacation I might be out on fieldwork – I like to go to volcanoes around the world and study the deposits that are formed during volcanic eruptions.  Or this summer, I am building an experiment where I will be able to simulate volcanic mudflows, called lahars, to try and understand their behaviour better. Every day I also try and get out for a run – though I normally only find time 3 or 4 days a week. I run to keep fit so I can hike up volcanoes, and also clear my mind to help come up with genius ideas!