Recent Newsletters

No. 66: November 2025

“What was he doing in that crater, anyhow?’ the reader will wonder. Actually, this is what I was just going to ask myself. What was I doing there?”

– Haroun Tazieff

Editorial

Hello VMSG. As autumn turns into winter, we return with a new VMSG Newsletter, positively erupting with exciting announcements and updates. There’s news of our VMSG and Zeiss Postdoctoral award winners for 2025/26, announcements about VMSG2026 and the MinSoc150 meetings next year, including details of the VMSG Buddy Scheme. There are reports from VMSG bursary winners and information on the UK-wide This is Geoscience scheme. We have relaunched the VMSG Discord Server, we have a request for you to get involved with an exciting special issue in the Journal of Applied Volcanology, and we share numerous calls for abstracts for volcanological sessions at conferences in 2026. If there’s something we’ve missed, let me know and we’ll get it into the next newsletter! – Brendan McCormick Kilbride (acting Newsletter Editor)

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Dr Emma Watts, whose contributions will be recognised by the Zeiss Postdoctoral Keynote Award this year! Emma was nominated for her outstanding student mentorship, peer support and dedication to public engagement, as well as her recent Nature Geoscience paper “Mantle upwelling at Afar triple junction shaped by overriding plate dynamics”, proving novel in both scale and scope and providing fresh new insight into rift–plume interactions. You can read the nominated paper  here.

We’d also like to congratulate Dr Paul Cole, this year’s winner of the VMSG Award. During his many years within the VMSG community, Paul has been involved in pioneering research on explosive volcanism, delivering strong, collaborative academic output with significant impact. This includes work on La Soufrière, St Vincent, both prior to and following its 2021 eruption and successful evacuation. He also provided skilled leadership and management of scientific operations as Director of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory; integrating monitoring, hazard assessment and community communication, as well as broader innovation in hazard mapping, risk communication and public engagement to improve awareness.

Both Emma and Paul shall be receiving their awards at our annual conference at NOC Southampton in January, where they will each present keynote lectures. Please join us to celebrate their contributions & achievements!

VMSG2026 in Southampton

Thank you to everyone who has registered already for the annual meeting in January. Please note that registration and abstract submission are closing very soon – 1^st December! – so please act now if you’d still like to attend – the link is register for the meeting is here.

There is also an exciting range of workshops and spaces still available on all of these except workshop 3, so do look at those for further opportunities linked to the conference.

VMSG Buddy Scheme

Rahul and Natasha (VMSG committee student reps) write:

The VMSG Buddy Scheme is returning for 2026 to help build connections and confidence among attendees. Whether it’s your first VMSG or you’re looking to mentor others, the scheme offers three levels of support to suit everyone:

• Conference Companion: For first-time attendees or anyone coming alone. Get paired with a friendly, experienced “buddy” to meet up, explore sessions, and navigate the conference together.
• Research & Presentation Feedback: Presenting a poster or talk? You’ll be matched with a mentor who provides constructive feedback and ideas for developing your research and presentation skills.
• Career & Networking Catalyst: For advanced students and ECRs exploring collaborations or next steps in academia or industry. Get paired with an experienced researcher for introductions and career guidance.

Sign up via the Google Form linked on the VMSG 2026 registration page to join as a junior buddy, mentor, or both. Matching will be based on shared interests and research areas. Let’s make VMSG 2026 our most connected and supportive meeting yet!

We are also still looking for a student rep to join the committee for 2026-2027. We will be advertising this at the Southampton conference and would be very pleased to speak to anyone who is interested, so do give this some thought and get in touch with Tash or Rahul if you would like to know more about what is involved.

Student Bursary Reports

Amy Kember (University of Manchester) writes:

I am immensely grateful for the generous support of the VMSG Student Bursary which enabled me to undertake a field trip to Iceland during August 2025. As a chemistry graduate, this was my first ever opportunity to learn field skills for volcanology! I joined a wonderfully enthusiastic team from the University of Manchester led by Margaret Hartley and including Roxane Buso, Bridie Davies, Ben Esse, Bex Hughes, Thomas Pierce-Jones and Alex Riddell.

Upon arrival we met with colleagues Enikő Bali and Simon Matthews at the University of Iceland to discuss ongoing collaborations. Our visit coincided with the ninth eruption at Svartsengi and a midnight walk to Sundhnúksgígar crater row was an awe-inspiring way to begin our time in the field. The visibility of the eruption from the road to Reykjavík was a humbling reminder of its proximity to the most densely populated areas of Iceland. Experiencing the scent of the charred land beneath fresh lava flows and hearing the hissing, rolling sounds of the vent was extraordinary.

Participating as a field assistant for Bex and Thomas, we were able to learn about sampling techniques for collecting pillow lavas at sites across the Reykjanes Peninsula and the Eastern Volcanic Zone. With morale fuelled by choccy milk and stirring soundtracks, we braved rather breezy conditions to acquire fresh material for their ongoing research projects.

During the first year of my PhD, I have been completing a 3D XCT study of vesicle textures within pyroclasts from different phases of the 2021 Geldingadalir eruption at Fagradalsfjall. An extremely worthwhile visit to this eruption site has enhanced my understanding of its broader geological context and significance. I have returned with fresh motivation to finish writing up this work!

At Laki, under the guidance of Bridie and Margaret, I learned how to sample tephra deposits and how to construct the corresponding stratigraphy log. The samples we collected will be used to extend the work of my PhD research and hopefully to provide a project for a master’s student. Margaret’s expertise and fantastically clear weather enabled us to truly appreciate the scale of the Laki fissure and the neighbouring Grímsvötn volcano situated beneath Vatnajökull ice cap. We were captivated by the striking lime green and black mossy volcanic landscape.

Large boxes of samples have now safely arrived in Manchester thanks to our colleagues in Iceland. This incredible experience has greatly enriched my PhD journey. Sincere thanks to Margaret for coordinating the trip and to the support of VMSG for enabling me to participate!

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Tanvi Chopra (Open University) writes:

I am grateful for the VMSG Student bursary which enabled me to pursue an opportunity to travel to the University of Cologne in September 2025 to undertake radiogenic isotope analyses (Sr, Nd, Pb, Hf) on Deccan flood basalt samples and to present at Geo4Göttingen 2025 conference. The award contributed to travel and accommodation costs which would have otherwise not been covered within my PhD budget. This enabled me to accept Prof. Münker’s invitation to complete isotope measurements that will play a pivotal part of my dataset for testing whether my samples reflect mantle source heterogeneity or crustal processes.

The visit allowed intensive hands-on training and learning analytical skills from experts in an internationally renowned laboratory in column chemistry and sample preparation (Pb, Sr, Nd, Hf), and operation of the Neptune MC-ICP-MS and using the Aridus setup for Pb, Hf and Nd. I completed multiple chemistry cycles, prepared dissolved element cuts and supported with setup of isotope measurements.

In addition to the scientific data and analytical gains, the bursary supported the collaboration and helped in enhancing my networking and communication skills. While in Germany I also presented my work at Geo4Göttingen, obtained valuable feedback that refined my follow-up plans, and expanded my professional network. As a consequence of successfully presenting my research, I received additional samples from Prof. Münker to further support my research. I also engaged in detailed scientific discussions with peers. The practical experience increased my confidence and independence in high-precision isotope work which will not only play a key role in my PhD research but also underpin a high-impact publication.

In summary, this opportunity directly enabled critical analyses, specialist training and new collaborations that would otherwise have been impossible without the support from the VMSG student bursary, substantially advancing my career as a researcher.

This is Geoscience

If you spend too much time squinting into the middle distance right now seems like a bleak time for geoscience in UK Higher Education, with multi-directional squeezes on time and finances. This seems paradoxical in a global moment when the skills of geoscientists are what are needed to find solutions across a variety of challenges.

Each institution is facing its own challenges, in ways that can often feel isolating for those caught in their midst. This is why its so particularly heartening to come across a collective endeavour! It turns out one of our parent organisations, The Geological Society of London have been working away over the last year or so, focusing a campaign to improve perceptions of the field, and its career prospects particularly aimed at school age students.

Through their research (looking at a year’s worth of job adverts) they demonstrated the intellectual and economic value of a broad spectrum of geoscience degrees and have analysed trends in degree numbers and choices. They have also spent time talking to the target audience to help focus on what needs fix to help us leap the gap between the need for geoscientists, and the desire to become one!

The graphics here are part of their output, but there is also a comprehensive report and lots  more materials for general use and sharing. These can all be found on the ThisIsGeoscience website. This is a welcome sign of all pulling together to help tackle these problems! They welcome more input so please do feel free to get in touch and offer some more examples and role models associated with VMSG!

Mineralogical Society at 150: Past Discoveries and Future Frontiers

Kevin Murphy (Mineralogical Society) writes:

The Mineralogical Society will celebrate its sesquicentennial during 2026. The focal point of our celebrations will be a three-day meeting at the University of Manchester from 23–25 June 2026. All are welcome, from students and early-career researchers to those who have a lifetime of Society experience under their belts!

A key element of the programme will focus on the history of the Society. As part of our celebration, we will publish an article in Mineralogical Magazine describing the history of the Society. In addition, we will celebrate the key people who have contributed to the organization, to our journals and to mineral science over the past 150 years. We would welcome contributions which look at the history of our Society, its leaders and, our disciplines. These may fit in any of the sessions but certainly are welcomed in the ‘Universal Session’.

The scientific sessions (up to 3x parallel sessions are planned) will be held in the Schuster Building and the banquet, on the night of 23rd June, will be held at the wonderful Whitworth Hall.

The convenor is President Sam Shaw. The organizing committee is listed under programme and comprises representatives of the Society’s eight special interest groups.

Note that all delegates attending the conference are expected to comply with the Society’s Code of Conduct.

Min Soc Skills and Training Seminars

Eimear Deady (British Geological Survey) writes:

I organise the Skills and Training Seminars for MinSoc and I am beginning to plan the seminar calendar for 2026. I am getting in touch for two reasons, one to ask you to promote the resources we have online (https://www.minersoc.org/skills-and-training.html).

Secondly, I would appreciate any offers of seminars, or of connections to people who could deliver seminars for us in 2026. The list of topics covered so far includes SEM, SIMS, ECR transition to industry from academia, asbestos regulations and how to apply for funding to NEIF. We have planned talks on ICP, stable isotopes (biogeochemistry) and carbonate geochronology for the remainder of 2025.

The series has been very well received so far, and the online videos are a very valuable resource. All offers, advertising and contacts are gratefully received. Please contact Eimear directly: https://www.bgs.ac.uk/people/deady-eimear/

The VMSG Discord Community Returns

Luke Hepworth (VMSG committee ECR rep) writes:

The VMSG Discord server has returned! Not all VMSG members will be part of large, lively geoscience departments, leaving them scientifically (and potentially socially) isolated from their peers. The mission of the Discord server is to provide an online platform for members of the VMSG community to connect, whether through scientific discussions, sharing their academic journey, or general socialising. Ideally, the Discord server would also act as a virtual icebreaker for new (and returning) VMSG members, hopefully alleviating some of the anxiety experienced before large social events.

The success of the Discord server will depend on it being used by as many VMSG members as possible, for as many different reasons as possible, so whether you’re looking for a bit of company, a bit of advice, or someone to show your prettiest rocks to, sign up, log on, and connect with the community!

Invite Link: https://discord.gg/QNkY34Pmk4

If you’ve never used Discord before: https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/360045138571-Beginner-s-Guide-to-Discord

Special Issue of the Journal of Applied Volcanology

Amelia Bain (University of Edinburgh) writes:

We would like to make you aware of an exciting special collection currently receiving submissions in the Journal of Applied Volcanology until 31^st January 2026.

The special collection on ‘Data Visualization and Effective Communication in Volcanology: Cross-disciplinary Lessons from Research and Practice’ will highlight effective approaches for visualising and communicating volcanic information: from monitoring data to hazard model outputs, through to risk, impact, vulnerability information, and more.

Our guest editors for this collection are:

Dr Danielle Charlton, Earth Sciences New Zealand

Dr Mary Anne Clive, Earth Sciences New Zealand

Dr Shinji Takarada, Geological Survey of Japan

The collection seeks to explore effective information visualisation, considering the full spectrum of approaches to displaying complex science: ranging from effective maps and displays of spatial and three- or four-dimensional information, through to the use of symbology and information products for non-technical users, and beyond. We welcome articles presenting research studies, case studies, and literature reviews, including evidence for best practice, techniques to identify and evaluate user needs and preferences, evaluation methods, software for visualisation and management of big data, and other topics that support effective communication. The full description of the collection and link to submit an article can be found here.

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About the Journal of Applied Volcanology:

The Journal of Applied Volcanology is a fully open-access international journal with a focus on applied research relating to volcanism, and particularly its societal impacts. The Journal was initiated by the IAVCEI Commission on Cities and Volcanoes.

Characterising volcanic impacts and associated risk relies not only on quantifying physical threat but also understanding social and physical vulnerability and resilience. The broad aim of volcanologists in this domain is to increase public resilience to volcanic risk via research that reduces both human fatalities and volcanic impacts on livelihoods, infrastructure, and the economy. The Journal of Applied Volcanology fills an important gap for scientists who want to publish research that addresses this aim and wish to reach a broad audience. It also aims to present research that is driven and led by practitioner and community needs and thus welcomes articles led by, or written in collaboration with, those managing volcanic risk.

The Journal also has a unique Hazard Map article type, which you can read more about here.

The Journal has a number of waivers available for corresponding authors in difficult financial circumstances to reduce or waive the article processing charge (APC). These are available on discretion of the Editor-in-Chief. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have a possible contribution and would like to discuss this. We have a number of these waivers available for the special collection on community voices. Many corresponding authors at academic institutions in the UK are also likely to have the APC covered under institutional read and publish agreements with Springer Nature. Thus we encourage you to check if your institution is included. Please also feel free to share this information with any colleagues who may benefit.

Emma Hudson-Doyle, Editor-in-Chief (e.e.hudson-doyle@massey.ac.nz)

Amelia Bain, Managing Editor (amelia.bain@bristol.ac.uk)

Volcanological Sessions at Conferences in 2026

Several members of the VMSG community are co-chairing relevant sessions at EGU2026, details below. Please note the abstract submission deadline is 15 January 2026 at 13:00 CET:

Chiara Petrone (Natural History Museum) shares:

GMPV10.2: Magmatic crystal textures and clocks: a mineralogical perspective into igneous processes

Minerals are fundamental components of igneous (volcanic and plutonic) rocks. Variations in their textures and compositions are the results of magmatic and/or volcanic processes such as magma recharge and mixing, magma storage and crystallization, mush formation and remobilization, pluton growth and maturation, magma ascent, degassing, and syn-eruptive processes. These processes operate on timescales of minutes to millennia and unlocking the temporal information from various minerals provide complementary record of magmatic timescales. Minerals can also be used to reconstruct the original composition of the magma and its thermodynamic conditions, through modelling and experimental studies of elemental partitioning under magmatic conditions. This session offers a broad overview of these ‘microscopic archives,’ drawing on insights from natural case studies, numerical models, and experimental works. We welcome contributions related to volcanological, plutonic geochemical, experimental, and modelling studies of mineral textures and compositions with linkages to magmatic and volcanic processes and their timescales.

Here is the link to session description (with link to abstract submission): https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU26/session/57801

Here are the instructions on how to submit an abstract: https://www.egu26.eu/authors/how-to-submit

We hope that you will consider submitting to our session. Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information, and share with colleagues. See you in Vienna!

Sri, Carlo and Chiara

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Chiara has also shared:

We would like to draw your attention to session GMPV10.3:

“Understanding magmatic processes: from magma storage to eruptive behaviour, and implications for volcanic hazard”

Convener: Giuseppe La Spina (INGV-OE); Co-conveners: Emily Bamber (CNR-ISSMC), Chiara Maria Petrone (NHM-London), Eleonora Braschi (CNR-IGG), Fabio Arzilli (UNICAM)

which will take place at the next EGU’s General Assembly in Vienna (Austria) from 3 to 8 May 2026.

In this session we welcome a broad range of contributions from researchers investigating the processes occurring in magmatic storage to conduit regions, including petrological, geochemical, and volcanological studies. We welcome natural, experimental, theoretical, numerical-based and multidisciplinary approaches. The aim is to promote discussion on the integration of data and techniques that best address the connection between magma dynamics at depth and eruptive and emplacement dynamics at the surface, potentially providing new tools to be implemented in petrological monitoring practices. We particularly encourage contributions from early-career scientists and studies that adopt multidisciplinary and/or innovative approaches.

Please find further information at: https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU26/session/57803

Guidelines for abstract submission can be found at https://www.egu26.eu/authors/how-to-submit

Financial support may also be requested. For further information please visit https://www.egu26.eu/authors/financial_support_and_waivers

Looking forward to your contributions, all the best

Giuseppe, Emily, Chiara, Eleonora, & Fabio

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Tobias Keller (University of Glasgow) shares:

Advances in Computational Methods for Volcanic and Magmatic Studies

The dynamics of magmatic systems are driven by complex processes that span from deep mantle melt generation to surface eruptions. These processes include: melt generation in the upper mantle and lower crust, magma transport, differentiation and emplacement in the crust, complex melt-rock interactions, genesis of energy and mineral resources, and volcanic extrusions with related hazards. Such fluid-mechanical and thermo-chemical processes emerge at sub-millimetre to kilometre scales and second to million-year times, and involve different phases, such as liquid melt, solid crystals, volatile fluids, and pyroclasts. Understanding these processes requires a multidisciplinary approach, combining observations, experiments, and computational methods including forward and inverse modelling and machine learning.

Despite the crucial role of computational methods in integrating and interpreting data from various sources, there has been limited progress in establishing a dedicated community within volcanic, petrology, and magmatic studies. This session aims to address this gap by focusing on computational approaches applied to these areas. We seek to bring together researchers working on forward and inverse modelling, machine learning, and other computational methods to foster a thriving community which complements well established observational and experimental communities.

We encourage contributions that explore the theory, application, and validation of computational approaches in the context of experimental and observational data. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

– Multiphase flow dynamics

– Thermodynamics and phase equilibria

– Magma transport and storage

– Chemical and rheological melt-rock interactions

– Crystallization and degassing processes

– Energy and mineral resource genesis

– Magma-hydrothermal interactions

– Eruption dynamics and hazards

This session aims to provide a platform for in-depth technical discussions that are challenging to facilitate in broader multidisciplinary sessions, ultimately fostering a stronger computational community within volcanic and magmatic studies.

Solicited authors:

Társilo Girona

https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU26/session/57771

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Alice Paine (University of Basel) shares:

GMPV11.1 – Tephra processes and dispersal: from tephrochronology to hazard assessment applications in volcanology

Explosive eruptions can generate large volumes of juvenile and lithic material (tephra), which can be transported vast distances from the volcano. Depending upon the eruption style and/or the interaction with external factors (e.g., water), the processes involved in the generation and dispersion of the tephra can be varied, and this diversity can enhance, and/or preclude, its effective preservation in the geological record – a key input for hazard assessments. By better understanding the syn- and post-eruptive processes involved in tephra-generating eruptions, our ability to prepare for and mitigate against a wide range of hazards (e.g., impacts on health, infrastructure and the economy) vastly improves, in turn in turn reducing the impact of explosive eruptions on society.

Advancements in volcanology since the early 2000’s have seen a steady increase in our understanding of the way tephra is generated, transported and deposited, and has facilitated a much more comprehensive understanding of (1) how frequently explosive eruptions occur on a global scale, (2) how different volcanic systems behave, and (3) the timescales upon which different hazards may emerge across different regions. Coupled with advances in numerical/computational tephra dispersion modelling, we are becoming increasingly informed of past eruptions and their processes, as well as the tracking and forecasting of current and real-time explosive eruptions.

We invite contributions that continue to improve our understanding of explosive eruption dynamics through the study of tephra emission, dispersal, and preservation; encouraging submissions from a variety of research themes including (but not limited to) physical volcanology, tephrochronology, geochemistry/petrology, stratigraphy, computer modelling, environmental management, and hazard forecasting. This session runs in parallel with an open call for paper submissions to a Geological Society of London and AGU GeoHorizons book volume titled “Tephra: from reconstructing past volcanic eruptions to modelling and forecasting future hazards” edited by Hodgetts et al. Thus, we particularly encourage submissions that demonstrate interdisciplinary science to further expand our knowledge of tephra-generating eruptions and their processes. This session is also sponsored by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI) Commission on Tephra Hazard Modelling (THM) and Commission on Tephrochronology (COT).

If you would like to join us, please submit your abstract through the following link: https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU26/session/57078

Details on the submission process can be found here: https://www.egu26.eu/authors/how-to-submit.html, but please do not hesitate to contact us for further information.

We hope to see many of you in Vienna!

Best wishes,

Alice Paine

Alastair Hodgetts

Britta Jensen

Elodie Lebas

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Linda Sobolewski (University of Iceland) shares:

We would like to draw your attention to the EGU26 session GMPV10.8 “Volcano-glacier interactions on Earth and beyond”, taking place at the EGU General Assembly 2026 in Vienna from 3-8 May 2026.

We invite contributions from everyone working in the broad field of glaciovolcanism on Earth and beyond and hope for some interesting discussions and more interactions between people working on various aspects of this topic.

Best regards,

Linda Sobolewski, University of Iceland (lindas@hi.is)

Eva P. S. Eibl, University of Potsdam (eva.eibl@uni-potsdam.de)

Iestyn Barr, Manchester Metropolitan University (i.barr@mmu.ac.uk)

Session description: https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU26/session/57800

Glaciers and volcanoes interact in several ways, including instances where volcanic/geothermal activity alters glacier dynamics or mass balance, via subglacial eruptions or the deposition of supraglacial tephra. Glaciers can also impact volcanism, for example by directly influencing mechanisms of individual eruptions resulting in the construction of distinct edifices. Glaciers may also influence patterns of eruptive activity when mass balance changes adjust the load on volcanic systems, the water resources and hydrothermal systems. However, because of the remoteness of many glacio-volcanic environments, these interactions remain poorly understood.

In these complex settings, hazards associated with glacier-volcano interaction can vary from lava flows to volcanic ash, lahars, landslides, pyroclastic flows or glacial outburst floods. These can happen consecutively or simultaneously and affect not only the earth, but also glaciers, rivers and the atmosphere. As accumulating, melting, ripping or drifting glaciers generate signals as well as degassing, inflating/deflating or erupting volcanoes, the challenge is to study, understand and ultimately discriminate these potentially coexisting signals. We wish to fully include geophysical observations of current and recent events with geological observations and interpretations of deposits of past events. Glaciovolcanoes also often preserve a unique record of the glacial or non-glacial eruptive environment that is capable of significantly advancing our knowledge of how Earth’s climate system evolves.

We invite contributions that deal with the mitigation of the hazards associated with ice-covered volcanoes in the Arctic, Antarctic, globally and extraterrestrial, that improve the understanding of signals generated by ice-covered volcanoes, or studies focused on volcanic impacts on glaciers and vice versa. Research on recent activity is especially welcomed. This includes geological observations, e.g. of deposits in the field or remote-sensing data, together with experimental and modelling approaches. We also invite contributions from any part of the world and other planets on past activity, glaciovolcanic deposits and studies that address climate and environmental change through glaciovolcanic studies. We aim to bring together scientists from volcanology, glaciology, seismology, geodesy, hydrology, geomorphology and atmospheric science to enable a broad discussion and interaction.

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Giuseppe Salerno (INGV Catania) shares:

We are pleased to draw your attention to our EGU 2026 session GMPV11.7 – “Monitoring Active Volcanoes”, taking place at the EGU General Assembly 2026 in Vienna from 3 to 8 May 2026. This session will provide an excellent opportunity to share your latest research, discuss strategies and methodologies for volcano monitoring, and strengthen scientific collaborations.
The abstract submission deadline is 15 January 2026, 13:00 CET. We look forward to your contributions!
We warmly invite you to submit an abstract and join the discussion in Vienna! Please feel free to share this announcement with interested colleagues and networks.

Best Regards,
Giuseppe Salerno, Itahiza Francisco Domínguez Cerdeña, Sara Barsotti, Teresa Ferreira, Jean-Christophe Komorowski

Session description: https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU26/session/57808

Volcanic eruptions are spectacular manifestations of natural forces that dynamically shape our planet. Their impacts spread from the geosphere to the hydrosphere and the atmosphere with the potential to have severe consequences at global scale. Within the volcanological community, forecasting volcanic eruptions remains a primary goal in volcanic hazards and risk mitigation. Over the past decades, the quantity and resolution of observations and the quality of monitoring resources have steadily increased, providing a wealth of data on the underlying physical processes that drive volcanic eruptions. Novel technological advancements have significantly broadened both the spatial coverage and frequency bandwidth of geochemical and geophysical observations at active volcanoes. By integrating multi-parametric data from both ground and space, scientists now gain an unprecedented vision of the surface manifestations of mass transport beneath volcanoes as well as the internal structure from static and functional imaging techniques. This enables the detection and tracking of subtle signals of volcanic unrest prior to eruption, even at remote or inaccessible volcanoes. These advancements have been accompanied by new models and processing techniques including with artificial intelligence and machine learning, leading to innovative paradigms for the interpretation and inversion of observational data (geophysical, geochemical, geological). Within this context, this session aims to convene a multidisciplinary audience for discussing the most recent innovations in monitoring tools and to present observations, methods, and models that enhance our understanding of volcanic processes fostering our capabilities in volcanic early warnings and risk reduction.

Any more?

Do you have any job opportunities, PhD viva celebrations, or funding announcements that you would like to advertise? If so, please get in touch with David Neave (Newsletter Editor).

Any other business?

Stay in touch!

Don’t forget to keep in touch with us and other volcanologists around the world. There are several ways you can do this: through the VMSG PhD and ECR directory (here), the Arizona State University mailing list (here), and the VMSG mailing list (here).

No. 65: August 2025

“Die gefährlichste Weltanschauung ist die Weltanschauung derer, die die Welt nie angeschaut haben.
(The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have not viewed the world)”

– Alexander von Humboldt

Editorial

Hello VMSG. After a brief hiatus, we’re back with a bumper VMSG Newsletter, full of exciting announcements and updates. Alongside announcements about VMSG2026 and the MinSoc150 meetings next year, we have news of prizes and awards won by the VMSG community, reports from VMSG bursary winners and a request for you to get nominating for the next round of VMSG-sponsored awards. Various VMSG members share their reflections on many of the exciting meetings that have taken place over recent months. We also have an introduction from our new ECR Rep and some announcements about volcano-related events in the coming months. We also got a report on where VMSG stands a a community on social media and some thoughts about what this means for building and strengthen our ties as a supportive community of volcanologists from our new Chair. As always, if there’s something we’ve missed, let me know and we’ll get it into the next newsletter! – David Neave (Newsletter Editor)

VMSG2026 in Southampton

The Local Organising Committee are very excited to welcome you all to The National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, for the VMSG2026 meeting, to be held in-person from the 5th – 7th January 2026. The conference will open on the afternoon of the 5th with an interactive icebreaker (hopefully featuring the world famous “Boaty McBoatface”) The conference dinner will take place at the Everest Nepalese and Indian Restaurant, on the evening of the 6th.

Expect all your favourite sessions, and a special session focussed on volcanism in the marine environment, as well as workshops (to be held on the mornings of the 5th or the 8th January) on volcanic deposits in marine sediment cores (hosted at the British Ocean Sediment Core Research Facility) and science communication during volcanic disasters, among others.

Abstract submission and discounted early bird registration will open in September and will close in November, allowing us to notify presenters of their allocated format by early December. Full price registration will close at the start of December.

Further details and the information about the website will follow. We look forwards to welcoming you to Southampton in January! – Isobel Yeo, Martin Mangler and Mike Clare (on behalf of the VMSG2026 Local Organising Committee)

Southampton awaits for VMSG2026!

Big Congratulations!

Its awards season, and congratulations are needed for the members of our VMSG community who have received awards!

First up big congratulations to former VMSG ECR Rep Claire Harnett (University College Dublin) who received the George Walker Award of IAVCEI, awarded for excellence to a scientist less than seven years after completion of their PhD.

In the same suite of IAVCEI Awards Lionel Wilson (Lancaster University) received the Thorarinsson Award, recognising fantastic lifetime achievements for a volcanologist.

At EGU, Heather Handley (Twente University) received the Katia and Maurice Krafft Award in recognition of her achievements in the inclusive communication of geosciences. Well done!

Congratulations to former VMSG Secretary Rich Brown (Durham University) who received the Dewey Medal of the Geological Society of London for his substantial and sustained contributions to field mapping and to Clive Oppenheimer (University of Cambridge) who received the Societies RH Worth Award for significant contributions to outreach and public engagement. Another former committee member, Kathryn Goodenough (BGS), received the Coke Medal for her contribution to science and sustained service to geosciences along with Joel Gill (Cardiff University).

Finally… congratulations too to David Pyle (Oxford University) and Marie Edmonds (University of Cambridge ) who are to be elected Fellows of the Royal Society (UK). (ed: Steve Sparks also notes the election of another familiar volcanological name this year, Claude Jaupart from IPGP)

Is there a great VMSG scientist missing out on recognition for their achievements? Let us know if we have missed a recent Award Winner. This is a good moment to remind you that we have our own society awards and nomination time is just around the corner! We support awards at multiple career stages! The time our community members take to share nominations for our excellent colleagues is always appreciated – so thinking caps on! So on this note, we ask for nominations for our VMSG Award, The Zeiss Postdoctoral Keynote Award and Willy Aspinall Prize. More details below… – Jenni Barclay (Chair) and VMSG Committee

VMSG Awards and Bursaries

The closing date for the next round of awards and bursaries is 15 September 2025, so here is a gentle reminder!

We are seeking nominations for our VMSG Award, Willy Aspinall Prize and Zeiss Postdoctoral Keynote Award. Please consider nominating someone who you feel has made a substantial impact in their area of research but also gone above and beyond to make a contribution to the research community. As a quick reminder, here’s a description of the scope of each of these awards:

• The VMSG Award recognises an individual who has made a significant contribution to our current understanding of volcanic and magmatic processes, either through a series of impactful papers or more broadly through science communication, academic service and societal engagement.
• The Willy Aspinall Prize may be made annually to the lead author of an outstanding paper on applied volcanology or geoheritage published in English, who is within three years of their being awarded a PhD at a university in the UK or Ireland.
• The Zeiss Postdoctoral Keynote Award may be made annually to the lead author of an outstanding paper on a topic within the VMSG remit, who has also made an exceptional contribution to supporting individuals or the wider research community, or to broader society, commensurate with their career stage. The award winner will have the opportunity to present their research as a keynote talk at the 2026 VMSG conference in Southampton.

Please see the awards website for further details on each award and how to nominate. We particularly encourage nominations from historically under-represented groups to all these awards.

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We also welcome applications for student bursaries, which offer funding to postgraduate researchers of up to £500 to support activities that would otherwise not be possible. Remember, PhD students in their first year are now eligible to apply but you still must have presented at a VMSG conference prior to the application deadline.

Please see the bursaries website for further details and to apply. – Katy Chamberlain (Awards and Bursaries) and VMSG Committee

Student bursary reports

Alex Riddell (University of Manchester) writes: This summer, I had the great pleasure of attending the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI) Scientific Assembly in Geneva, with thanks to the generous support of the VMSG student bursary.

I presented a poster on my recent publication, which explores the underestimation of CO₂ emissions at Soufrière Hills volcano using an Optical MultiGAS. This sparked many insightful and engaging discussions, not only with those focused on volcanic gas monitoring, but also with researchers across the wider volcanology community. I had particularly interesting conversations about how these findings intersect with work in petrology, and how they may inform interpretations of subsurface processes.

It was great to see many familiar faces from the growing UK volcanic gas community as well to finally meet so many of the international colleagues whose papers I’ve been reading for the last few years. Putting faces to names was a real highlight!

A key takeaway of the conference was the opportunity to hear how others approach the challenges of calculating gas fluxes, error analysis, and best practices for transparent data reporting. These conversations reinforced the value of collaborative, multiparametric approaches combining remote sensing, petrology, and modelling to build physically constrained interpretations of volcanic systems.

While Geneva itself may not have any active volcanoes, it was a wonderful host city. On Monday evening, the Jet d’Eau was lit up in magma red, reaching 140 m into the air (I cannot imagine what experiencing the 300 m+ Kīlauea lava fountains must be like). The heatwave during the week gave the conference an appropriately magmatic feel, but thankfully there was plenty of free ice cream and the beautiful lake to swim in each evening.

Beyond the scientific content, the conference was a hugely rewarding social experience and has left me feeling energised and focused. I’m especially motivated to push forward with my current work comparing SO₂ flux techniques at Mt Etna, based on fieldwork from last summer. Discussions with colleagues about future research directions have also helped me clarify my focus for the remaining two and a half years of my PhD.

Thank you again to VMSG for supporting my attendance at the IAVCEI Scientific Assembly.

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Thomas Johnston (University College Dublin) writes: Thanks to the support of the VMSG Student Travel Bursary I was able to attend an Institute for Rock Magnetism Visiting Fellowship at the University of Minnesota from 24th March–2nd April 2025. This allowed me to learn a range of palaeomagnetic techniques and apply these to my PhD samples collected earlier in my project.

My project is titled ‘Using Block and Ash Flow Deposits to Infer Lava Dome Collapse Dynamics and Resultant Hazards’ and investigates the deposits of the 2015 dome collapse block and ash flow at Volcan de Colima, Mexico. The project aims to characterise the block and ash flow deposits with a particular focus on the block properties. The ultimate aim being to link the deposits to collapse processes and precollapse dome conditions. This VMSG bursary has supported my aims as I undertook palaeomagnetic analyses of blocks collected at 1 km intervals along the 2015 block and ash flow deposits.

During my time at the Institute for Rock Magnetism I learned how to take thermal remanent magnetism (TRM), magnetic susceptibility and hysteresis measurements and how to start processing this data. The thermal demagnetisation allows for measurement of the magnetic remanence of the rock; this data will be used to make inferences for the source of the block as juvenile blocks should match the geographic orientation while blocks prior to collapse will have a different orientation to the geographic orientation. The magnetic susceptibility and hysteresis curves can be used to support the TRM measurements. They show that these rocks had a range of magnetic minerals present, such as titano-magnetites and titano-haematites with different amounts of titanium present, and will allow us to explore the thermal conditions in both the dome and the resulting pyroclastic density current.

Introducing our new ECR Rep

I’m a Daphne Jackson Trust Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, returning from a 7-year career break. My research focuses on the formation of layered mafic intrusions, integrating detailed field-based data collection with textural, microstructural, and geochemical techniques. My goal as ECR rep is to foster a greater sense of community between VMSG members by using the neglected, COVID-era Discord server for general socialising (like crafternooning!), scientific discussions, and to give members a platform to arrange social events (online or otherwise) with likeminded members. Not everyone will be part of a large, lively geoscience department, with many members also working remotely (like myself), and who may feel isolated, socially and/or scientifically. My hope is that the Discord server could go some way to alleviate this sense of isolation and connect VMSG members for years to come. – Luke Hepworth (ECR Rep)

MinSoc150 meeting in Manchester next year

The Mineralogical Society of the UK and Ireland (MinSoc), one of VMSG’s umbrella organisations, is turning 150 next year. As part of the celebrations, the MinSoc will be running a three-day conference at the University of Manchester on the 24th to 26th of June 2026. The conference will feature sessions focusing on all aspects of the MinSoc’s activities, with invited keynote talks. As part of this, VMSG will be co-convening a session with MSG and MDSG, titled “Crystal records of volcanic, magmatic and mineralisation processes”. Watch this space for more developments… – Mike Stock (Committee Member) and David Neave (Newsletter Editor)

Volcanology in Practice Symposium in Niigata, Japan

We are excited to welcome you to an upcoming symposium in Niigata, Japan this year. It will be held in October (7th–10th, with an optional field excursion on the 11th and 12th). The overall theme is “Volcanology in Practice,” with three days centred on interconnected themes of “Exposure, preparedness, and risk reduction” (co-organised by the  Global Volcanic Risk Alliance ); “The next generation of volcano monitoring” (co-organised by VolcanoTech); and “Knowledge-sharing” (co-organised by the Asian Consortium of Volcanology). The aim is really to bring together researchers, pracademics, developers, and those working in observatories and related institutions, throughout Japan, across Asia, and beyond. More details are available here: thevolcano.world.

After a successful set of events over the past four years, the Earth Science Women’s Network (ESWN) Professional Development and Networking Committee (formerly Member Events) is now planning a new set of event activities for implementation in future years from late 2025 onward. To ensure that our activities are aligned with the needs and interests of the ESWN community and that they are timely, we invite you to participate in a brief survey to help us shape the program. The survey deadline has been extended to July 31st 2025 (ed: I appreciate this may now be a little late – but worth a look nonetheless).

This survey should only take a few minutes [~5 mins] of your time and is available here: ESWN survey

Thank you for your support, time and contributions! – The ESWN Professional Development and Networking Committee

VMSG at the UN Disaster Risk Reduction meeting

The VMSG community was well-represented at the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s 8th Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction held between the 4–6^th June, in Geneva, Switzerland. The Global Platform brings together the global community working on disaster risk reduction and is a crucial forum for assessing progress on the implementation of the Sendai Framework. Participation from the VMSG community included presentations on the Ignite Stage by Carina Fearnley and Molly Urquhart from the UCL Warning Research Centre, and Lara Mani from the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, both using engaging activities to demonstrate the importance of early warning systems in volcanic settings. Amy Donovan was on the organising team for a High-Level Dialogue on “Advancing multi-hazard early warnings and early and anticipatory action: User-centred design for a resilient future” and Carina Fearnley also co-organised the side-event “Equity in Action: Early Warnings for All People”. Members of the VMSG community also participated in the GeoRiskNet side meeting hosted at the World Meteorological Organisation, with the aim of building greater coordination across geohazards communities for multi-lateral representation. – Lara Mani (Sponsorship)

VMSG IAVCEI

The 2025 IAVCEI scientific assembly took place at the end of June amid a heatwave in Geneva. With a broad program centred around the energies of magma – from volcanic plumbing systems, monitoring methods and physical eruption processes, through to risk assessment and hazard communication – many themes across the VMSG community were well represented, with a large number of participants from the UK and Ireland. Alongside the main conference sessions and a mid-conference fieldtrip to CERN, VMSG members were involved in organising a wide range of workshops and in leading meetings of several of the IAVCEI commissions and networks, as well as the post-conference Early Warning for All workshop. – Seb Watt (Secretary)

Reflections on Soufriere Hills Volcano International Conference (SHV30)

On the 18th of July 1995 the Soufriere Hills Volcano (SHV) had the first in what would become a challenging series of eruptions. That first eruption was phreatic but what would follow was five periods of surface magmatic activity, delivered over 15 years as explosions, fast and slow growing domes, and collapses big and small. The volcano remains in a state of active unrest today. For many volcanologists in the VMSG community understanding these eruptions and their impacts has played a formative or central role in their academic career.

On the 14th-18th July 2025 the Montserrat Volcano Observatory and UWI Seismic Research Centre hosted and ran the SHV30th commemoration conference on Montserrat. The Theme of the Conference was ‘Turning Magma into Momentum’ signalling the desire to reconcile the challenges of living with the consequences of volcanic activity with the benefits that can be gained from living on a volcanic island replete with geological resources. With around 100 attendees there was a strong showing from the VMSG community: joining panels, hosting workshops, providing talks, outreach materials and running fieldtrips – as well as acting in a play (more on that in the next newsletter!). This covered everything from excellence in risk assessment, monitoring and petrology to the state-of-the-art in the green potential of geothermal, and geotourism. Congratulations to the organising team for an action-packed and stimulating week! – Jenni Barclay (Chair)

VMSG on social media

Social media follower counts have continued previous trends of slow growth on most platforms through late 2024 and into the first half of 2025, with the continued exception being a slow decrease in Twitter/X and faster growth on BlueSky as academics move from one platform to the other. From October 2024 to July 2025, followers on Twitter/X total -112 / -2%, Instagram +51 / +7%, YouTube 30 / +11%, Facebook -1 / 0%, and BlueSky 256 / 149%. Across all platforms, there has been a net increase in followers of 289 / 4%.

In April 2025, VMSG also launched a public LinkedIn page after discovering a previously created private group was invite-only. The private group has a total of 595 members and continues to get occasional new requests, but is no longer actively used and shows a pinned post directing to the new page. This has 65 followers to-date, but is increasing at a steady rate. – James Dalziel (Social Media)

Gathering around our virtual water cooler

For a brief and flamboyant moment the platform-formerly-known-as-Twitter offered a wonderful gathering place for global volcanologists – imagine a tree with many branches and thick foliage shading us from the worst excesses of #badacademia. At its best it was collaborative, democratic and subverted traditional academic hierarchies through communication and knowledge sharing. The VMSG feeds regularly lit up with talk highlights, new papers, pictures and more. More recently, the leaves have fallen down from our tree and its got more shady(*) in the worst possible way.

James’ analysis demonstrates that our user numbers on X are somewhat holding firm but engagement is well down, and pick up on other platforms does not compensate. So, where is our virtual water cooler these days, is it back to snatched conversations in corridors? Are we all too busy post pandemic to bother?

As a communication ‘enthusiast’ I’ve been one of the folk who’ve joined Bluesky (its not the same as peak Twitter) resolved to join LinkedIn in 2025 (following VMSG’s lead), and have experimented with TikTok (and abandoned Facebook) of late, but feel a bit listless about any one of these as a place to create that sense of community which helps academia to thrive. Luke Hepworth our new ECR Rep is also making steps to re-vitalise our Discord server (see above). Where do we want to hang out? Do we need to, or should I just calm down and make friends with ChatGPT? Answers on a postcard please!

(*)Shady (Urban dictionary): to act fake or be a hypocrite. – Jenni Barclay (Chair)

Any more?

Do you have any job opportunities, PhD viva celebrations, or funding announcements that you would like to advertise? If so, please get in touch with David Neave (Newsletter Editor).

Any other business?

Stay in touch!

Don’t forget to keep in touch with us and other volcanologists around the world. There are several ways you can do this: through the VMSG PhD and ECR directory (here), the Arizona State University mailing list (here), and the VMSG mailing list (here).

No. 63: December 2024

“An aeroplane
Will curve gracefully
Around the volcano
With the eruption that never lets you down”

– Björk Guðmundsdóttir

Editorial

Hello VMSG. As teaching winds down and Christmas approaches, only one thing can surely be on your mind… That’s right, VMSG-MDSG 2025 is just around the corner! We’re really looking forward to seeing many of you there. Alongside some reminders about the meeting, we’ve also got news about out new VMSG chair, the winner of VMSG Awards, the 2024 EDI report and some reports from recent recipients of the Henry Emeleus Fieldwork Grant. As usual there’s a quick round up of upcoming conferences that are like to be of interest as well. Please do get in touch if you have anything else you’d like to include in future newsletters – announcements of meetings, big projects, cool volcano events or outreach activities. – David Neave

VMSG-MDSG 2025

We hope you are all looking forward to VMSG-MDSG 2025 at Trinity College Dublin as much as we are.

Here’s your reminder to keep an on vmsg-mdsg-2025.com for announcements about the final programme and any other news. As you’re no doubt aware, the meeting is joint between VMSG and the Mineral Deposits Studies Group (MDSG), so there should be lots of interesting opportunities for learning about new topics and meeting some new faces.

 

The Local Organising Committee in Dublin have laid on an exciting programme with the following rough structure:

• Sunday 5th January: Field trips running through the day with Icebreaker and live band at The Church on Jervis Street from 6 pm.
• Monday 6th January: Welcome and cross-disciplinary Plenary Lecture from Dr Kathryn Goodenough (BGS) at 9am, conference presentations until 6 pm and an ECR event in the evening (timing TBC)
• Tuesday 7th January: Conference presentations 9 am – 6 pm, with conference dinner (buffet/box style) at the Guinness Storehouse from 7.30 pm
• Wednesday 8th January: Conference presentations from 9 am, with Prize Giving and wrap-up by 4 pm.
• Thursday 9 January: Conference workshops running through the day

As always, by registering for this meeting you are agreeing to abide by the VMSG Code of Conduct and the MDSG Code of Conduct.

You can find lots more information on the conference website, including on venue accessibility and contact details for the Local Organising Committee. – VMSG Committee

New VMSG Chair Announced

It is our great pleasure to announce that Jenni Barclay will take over as VMSG chair after the Dublin meeting in January 2025.

Jenni is currently AXA Professor of Volcanology at the University of Bristol and will be well known to many of you as a vibrant member of VMSG, not least via her role on the committee from 2019 to 2022, and as a champion of trans-disciplinary and community-led research in volcanology to better understand volcanic behaviour and hazards.

Some inaugural words from Jenni: ‘I’m super delighted to take over as Chair of VMSG! There is such a thing as community, and the VMSG community has been a really important space for us to share thoughts, experiences and our shared enthusiasms for all things magma and volcano-related, ever since I’ve known it! Most recently, Tamsin and the committee have been really hard at work doing great things, and it’s exciting to be joining them in that space!’- Seb Watt (Secretary) and VMSG Committee

 

VMSG Committee News

We are pleased to welcome three new members to the VMSG committee:

Natasha Keeley (Keele University) has recently joined as student rep, for a two year term taking over from Kerys Meredew. Many thanks to Kerys for all her work in this role over the past two years, representing the VMSG student community. Rahul and Natasha will be the student reps from next year. Please do look out for information about student-led activities in the coming months.

Katy Chamberlain (University of Liverpool) and Mike Stock (Trinity College Dublin) have also recently joined the committee for the next three years. With other new additions in 2024, several members have recently come to the end of their time on the committee, and we’d like to thank all of them for their input to VMSG activities over the past few years: Emma Nicholson has recently stepped down as awards officer; Pete Rowley, after four years supporting VMSG events; Claire Harnett, also after four years as ECR rep; and Ed McGowan, after managing the website over the past few years. Many thanks to Ed, Claire, Pete and Emma for all their work supporting VMSG in recent years. – Seb Watt (Secretary) and VMSG Committee

Student News

The annual list of VMSG-related PhD projects can now be found on our website. This year we have also included projects for MSc by Research. We will continue to update this list, so please get in contact with us if you have any new opportunities you would like added (both UK based or international).

Please share this with any of your own students who aren’t yet part of the VMSG community. – Kerys Meredew (Student Rep, outgoing) and Rahul Subbaraman (Student Rep)

VMSG Awards and Prizes

Huge congratulations to Prof Michael Heap, whose contributions will be recognised by the VMSG Award this year!

Mike has been an active member of the VMSG community for many years and amongst his substantial and interdisciplinary academic contributions to volcanology he has also been a strong advocate for open science, equitable collaboration and in supporting early career researchers globally – all of which are strongly in the spirit of the award.

Mike will be receiving the VMSG Award at our annual conference in Dublin, where he will be presenting a keynote lecture. Please join us if you can to celebrate his contributions and achievements!

Massive congratulations also to Dr Michal Camejo-Harry, whose contributions will be recognised by the Zeiss Postdoctoral Keynote Award this year!

Michal was nominated for her recent paper examining the surface deformation of La Soufriere, St Vincent, during the most recent eruptions in 2020-2021 and for her contributions to science communication and risk management through her role as a monitoring scientist within the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre. Michal’s work is an exemplar for the value of integrating multiple monitoring datasets to improve our understanding of eruptive processes. You can read the nomination paper here:

Michal Camejo-Harry, K. Pascal, P. Euillades, R. Grandin, I. Hamling, L. Euillades, R. Contreras-Arratia, G.A. Ryan, J.L. Latchman, L. Lynch, M. Jo (2022) Monitoring volcano deformation at La Soufrière, St Vincent during the 2020–21 eruption with insights into its magma plumbing system architecture. In: Robertson, R., et al. (eds), The 2020-2021 eruption of La Soufriere, St Vincent,  Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 539, 41 – 62 doi.org/10.1144/SP539-2022-270

Michal will be giving the Zeiss Postdoctoral Keynote lecture at our annual conference in Dublin. Please join us if you can to celebrate her contributions and achievements!

– Emma Nicholson (Awards & Bursaries, outgoing) and VMSG Committee

VMSG Henry Emeleus Fieldwork Grant Reports

Jingwei (David) Zhang (Lancaster University) writes…

Since the hybrid rhyolitic eruptions at Chaitén (Chile, 2008) and Cordón Caulle (Chile, 2011), our understanding of silicic eruption dynamics has had evolve from the assumption of an explosive-effusive dichotomy. An emerging framework is the “cryptic fragmentation model”, where the in-conduit sintering of hot ash and pyroclasts is responsible for lava effusion (e.g. Wadsworth et al., 2020).  My PhD project aims to, in part, to test and refine this model with real-life material.

To that end, with the support of the Henry Emeleus fieldwork grant, I was able to conduct a ~3-week campaign to Torfajökull, Iceland in July-August 2024, with my supervisors Dr. Hugh Tuffen, Dr. Dave McGarvie, and Dr. Alastair Hodgetts (University of Edinburgh), and field assistants Daniel McMahon and Natasha Spangrud. Our work focuses on the ~877CE Hrafntinnuhraun eruption, a poorly-understood, VEI~4, rhyolitic eruption. From prior reconnaissance trips, we have already identified a spectrum of explosive, hybrid, and effusive products there, hence making Hrafntinnuhraun a prime location where we could search for key evidence of cryptic fragmentation.

In the field, I was continuously awed by the diversity of rock textures we encountered and the beauty of the Icelandic highlands. We successfully constructed multiple logs of Hrafntinnuhraun’s proximal tephra deposits, meticulously sampling the most complete section, to better understand the explosive activities of Hrafntinnuhraun. The ubiquity of clastogenic products, across the lavas and pyroclasts, was particularly exciting. Additionally, we identified ash-veneered lava fractures, recognized as records of hybrid activity (Farquharson et al., 2022), across all Holocene silicic lavas in the Torfajökull complex. We were also given the opportunity to assist the local Rangers – whose support made our campaign possible – with maintaining the walking trails near our field site.

This field campaign forms a fundamental part of my ongoing PhD project and continues to yield valuable observations. I am honoured and grateful to have received the support of VMSG in the form of the Henry Emeleus fieldwork grant — þökk fyrir!

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Jenn Marsh (Imperial College London) writes…

Funding from the VMSG Henry Emeleus Fieldwork Award was used to help me travel to Ireland and Northern Ireland in September of 2024 to collect samples for my PhD project. For myself and two field assistants to travel from London to Northern Ireland with field gear, I rented a vehicle and drove to Holyhead, took the ferry across from Holyhead to Dublin, and drove the remainder of the distance to Antrim, Northern Ireland.

There are two types of samples I collected during this fieldwork trip. I first collected 218 core samples of basalt and rhyolite rock, which are drilled at 2.5 cm in diameter and ~10 cm in length; these are used to perform palaeointensity (ancient geomagnetic field strength), palaeodirectional (ancient geomagnetic field direction) and rock magnetic studies. I next collected hand samples from 5 localities of gabbro and granophyre rocks in the Carlingford Igneous Complex, ~2 kg each, which will be broken down to separate zircon crystals and use them for U/Pb dating. These samples are crucial to the hypothesis I am testing in my PhD, which aims to determine if there is a correlation between mantle plume formation at the core-mantle boundary and lows in Earth’s palaeointensity. The age of samples collected in Antrim are ~59-63 Ma and will be used to determine how strong Earth’s geomagnetic field was at this time. The age of samples collected in Carlingford as not well-constrained, which is why I will be doing U/Pb dating. These will contribute to a palaeointensity study I have already completed on drill core samples previously collected from the Carlingford Igneous Complex.

VMSG Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2024

Following on from the VMSG Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Report 2020, and in the wake of the COVID pandemic, which saw large changes in working practices and conference organisation, VMSG re-surveyed its members in October – November 2023. The aim of the 2023 EDI survey was to find out more about who our members are, to gain members opinions and suggestions related to VMSG events and policies, and to gather information about any experiences of discrimination and harassment at VMSG events and during everyday work or study.

The results of this survey are now published in the VMSG Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2024. This new report reviews progress on the recommendations which were outlined 2020, presents the results from the recent 2023 survey, and makes some updated recommendations in light of survey responses. VMSG would like to thank all participants of the 2023 EDI survey for taking the time to respond and for sharing their personal experiences, opinions and suggestions. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please get in touch. – Katie Preece (EDI officer; k.j.preece@swansea.ac.uk)

VMSG 60th Anniversary Seminar Series

Our series of seminars around the UK and Ireland has been continuing over recent months, with further talks in Birmingham, Manchester, London (UCL) and Edinburgh. Many thanks to all of the organisers and speakers at these seminars. This series, which ran through the year to celebrate 60 years of VMSG, aimed to showcase the breadth of research across our community. If you missed any of the seminars, several of them are on the VMSG YouTube channel. – Seb Watt (Secretary) and VMSG Committee

Upcoming conferences

VMSG-MDSG 2025 (with MDSG 2025), Dublin, 6–8 January 2025, website

EGU 2025, Vienna, 27 April–2 May 2025 , abstract submission deadline of 15 January 2025, website

EMPG 2025, Orleans, 16–18 June 2025, abstract submission deadline of 4 February 2025, website

IAVCEI 2025, Geneva, 29 June–4 July 2025, website

Goldschmidt 2025, Prague, 6–11 July 2025, website

Any more?

Do you have any job opportunities, PhD viva celebrations, or funding announcements that you would like to advertise? If so, please get in touch with David Neave (Newsletter Editor)

Any other business?

Stay in touch!

Don’t forget to keep in touch with us and other volcanologists around the world. There are several ways you can do this: through the VMSG PhD and ECR directory (here), the Arizona State University mailing list (here), and the VMSG mailing list (here).