Advances in remote-sensing and other technologies have transformed our ability to monitor and measure volcanic activity; but without the perspective offered by geological time, our ability to understand the causes, consequences and impacts of volcanic activity remains limited. My current focus is on integrating the rock records of past eruptions with observational records of past and present eruptions to better understand how volcanoes work, and to use this information to advance the science of volcano forecasting. This work also links to larger-scale questions of the fate of volatile elements in subduction zone systems; understanding the links between tectonics, climate and eruption style; and the development and application of new methods in volcano monitoring – particularly tools for rapid data analysis and integration. I am happy to discuss opportunities for new projects, which could range from close investigation of historlcal and archive materials from past eruptions (e.g. Vesuvius), to field and analytical studies of deposits of recent volcanic eruptions (e.g. in Greece, the eastern Caribbean or Chile).
David is Professor of Earth Sciences and a Fellow of St Anne’s College. He completed a PhD in volcanology at the University of Cambridge in 1990, and was a Research Fellow in Cambridge and at Caltech, before taking up a lectureship in Cambridge. He moved to Oxford in 2006.
