People
Current staff members
Professor Juliet Biggs
My research focusses on using satellite data to study ground deformation and topographic changes due to volcanic, magmatic, anthropogenic and tectonic processes. I work closely with volcano observatories and space agencies to improve the availability and uptake of satellite data for volcano monitoring. I am developing machine learning approaches to manage very large datasets with applications to global volcano monitoring and detecting more localised deformation in the UK. I have worked extensively on the tectonics of the East African Rift, from the fault systems of Malawi to the magmatic systems of Ethiopia and Kenya.
Dr Richard Brooker
I manage the experimental petrology facilities, with projects ranging from planetary mantle petrology, crustal processes such as magma mushes through to volcanology, with a particular interest in the role of volatiles and more recently rheology. Other current research interests include ash damage in jet engines, survival of DNA and organic material during diagenesis and the environmental impact of mining ‘sulphide smoker’ deposits from mid-ocean ridges. I have a keen interest pushing experimental boundaries by designing new experimental equipment in close collaboration with our workshop.
Professor Joachim Gottsmann
My research focuses on volcanoes and their behaviour. I combine geophysical field research with mathematical modelling to study processes in magmatic and hydrothermal systems that underpin pre-eruptive volcanic activity.
I’m a teaching-focused lecturer in the School of Earth Sciences with an emphasis on field-based geoscience education. I am also a member of the Volcanology and Petrology research groups. My research combines experiments, field observation, and textural and chemical characterisation of volcanic rocks to clarify the links between magmatic processes and volcanic activity.
I study volcanic emissions in order to better understand volcanic processes, hazards and environmental impacts. I use ground- UAV- and satellite-based imagery to quantify volcanic gases and ash. I specialise in Central American volcanism and work closely with government agencies there to build capacity in order to reduce risk.
Current postdoctoral researchers
Ailsa Naismith
My research focusses on volcanic flow hazards in Central America. I study patterns in eruptive activity through satellite and geophysical timeseries and explore how different people observe and interpret eruptions. I work with other disciplines and non-academics to understand collective memory of past events.
Current honorary staff
Professor Kathy Cashman
My research focuses on volcanoes, why they erupt and the consequences of those eruptions; my primary approach is to combine field research with laboratory analysis of the physical and chemical properties of erupted material.