Student Internships

There are several volcanic and magmatic related internships that offer students to gain firsthand experience of researching and monitoring volcanoes across the globe. Attending such internships not only provides outstanding opportunities, but can also help to build up your CV and PhD applications.

Below is a list of internships that have been frequently attended by past VMSG student members.

Colima Intercambio e Investigación en Vulcanología (CIIV)

Enthusiastic students required to assist with research and monitoring at Volcán de Colima, Mexico. The internship runs throughout the year. The minimum period is usually 2 months, but those who can stay longer have priority. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to join the team and participate in various projects covering a variety of aspects, one major goal being a dynamic model to explain the volcano’s behaviour. Time will be spent assisting with field and lab work, including: routine collection of thermal and gas data, water samples, maintenance of installed sensors, development of new systems, geophysical surveys etc. Analysis will be carried out of a variety of data types. Applicants should have or be working towards a degree in earth science or physics with some field experience. Some knowledge of Spanish would be useful, and a reasonable level of fitness is necessary for hiking at altitude. There is a particular demand for applicants with some programming experience and for webpage development. There may be the possibility to visit some of Mexico’s other active volcanoes for other projects.

This is an excellent opportunity to obtain experience working on an active and frequently erupting volcano and to use various field, laboratory and analysis techniques. It could be of great benefit to someone waiting to enter graduate studies in volcanology. No salary can be paid, but cheap accommodation is available. Colima is a great place to spend a few months.

If interested, please email Dr. Nick Varley, Colima Exchange and Research in Volcanology, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Colima at nick@ucol.mx.

GeoTenerife

GeoTenerife have a series of different training camps covering a range of scientific investigations on Tenerife. Below is a list of the following opportunities.

VolcanoCamp programme: Undergraduate programme 

In this week-long course (running November 25 – December 2 2023) you will be introduced to the volcanic systems on both Tenerife and La Palma. We will spend time on both islands, with a ferry transfer half way through the course.

We will visit historic and prehistoric eruptions on the islands to observe the huge diversity of eruptions that have led to the construction of these unique ocean islands. Throughout the week you will learn how to make systematic, quantified, observations of volcanic deposits, infer eruption dynamics and draw conclusions about eruptive style where eruptions were not witnessed.

You will then have the opportunity to compare these inferences with historic, witnessed eruptions, including the 2021 Cumbre Vieja eruption in La Palma, and think about how we can adapt to and mitigate the impact of future volcanic eruptions.

At the end of the week you will have the opportunity to synthesise your work and present your work in a range of styles to the group.

We will also share our experiences of working with and observing the 2021 Cumbre Vieja eruption.

This course is led by Dr Katy Chamberlain, a lecturer in geoscience at Liverpool University, UK.

For more information on the VolcanoCamp programme, visit their page here.

VolcanoCamp Extension programme: Masters Project 

Applications are invited from Masters students affiliated to a home university to work with us and IGN, the Spanish Geographic Institute, on our new research project on volcanic risk and associated topics in Tenerife for their Masters Project. They will take part in the first portion of VolcanoCamp before spending the rest of the month researching and working closely with the team at IGN, with the aim of completing their Masters research project with co-supervision with their home university for full publication on successful completion.

Masters students looking for a research project for publication are also invited to apply to the programme in order to to work in collaboration with the Oceanographic Institute on the same basis during the same time period on a range of research projects – please contact enquiries@geotenerife.com. for full details.

MARINESCICAMP 

GeoTenerife Marine Science Training Camp in association with the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC) shall run 25 November – 23 December 2023.

To include residential onboard research experience with the team responsible for the ongoing monitoring of underwater volcanoes in the Canary Islands. Their cruise is multi-disciplinary so applicants from a range of earth sciences are invited to apply.

This is an exceptional opportunity for undergraduates, recent graduates or early career scientists to learn a range of highly transferable skills onboard R/V Ángeles Alvariño, the Institute’s research vessel:

• acquisition and processing of physical-chemical data with oceanographic rosette (Matlab)
• acquisition of biogeochemical samples with in situ samples of water (niskin bottles – Rosette)
• acquisition and processing of samples of dissolved oxygen, inorganic nutrients, DIC, POC, DNA

Plus additional, transferable skills:

• SciComm (Social Media; News, blogs and press releases; Video editing)
• Collaborative research with GeoTenerife’s ongoing research

For more information on the MarineSciCamp programme, visit their page here.

GEOINTERN Summer 2024

If you are interested, please email GeoTenerife Enquiries at enquiries@geotenerife.com, or visit their Internship page for more information.

Ground deformation at Mt Etna volcano

This is a self-funded long term project that runs August 19^th to September 25^th annually. All volunteers will need to finance their return journey to Catania, Sicily, and also pay 50 Euros per day which covers accommodation, meals, transport and everything they need whilst on Etna.  They should also be physically fit and preferably have experience of walking in mountainous and difficult terrain.  The trip is divided into 4 ten-day periods, and preference is given to those who can stay the longest.  The work comprises precise levelling, dual-frequency GPS and dry tilt measurement of 400 benchmarks spread over Etna’s summit and flanks.  No experience of the techniques is necessary and all instruction given on site.

 If you are interested, please email John Murray at j.b.murray@open.ac.uk

INVOLCAN Summer Science Training Program

Participants will undertake applied research during a 4-week training period in the Canary Islands. Each participant’s training will focus on one of a range of topics from volcano and environmental monitoring to social science. Participants will gain practical insight of applied research by working side-by-side with INVOLCAN/ITER researchers during fieldwork, and data collection, analysis and visualisation activities. Training will be delivered in English. Spanish-only speakers can be accommodated. The ~4-week programme includes an orientation day and fieldtrip. Participants will be co-authors on conference presentation(s) which will be submitted to the largest international conference on Earth Sciences in Europe (European Geoscience Union Annual Meeting). Training will be delivered in 4 periods, during the months of June to September. The cost to the participant is 1000.00 €, which includes housing, day field trip, work related ground transportation, inter-island travel where applicable, insurance, and post-course celebration dinner and closing ceremony.

If you are interested, more information can be found on the INVOLCAN website.