Background

I study volcanoes and the different ways volcanism has impacted our planet – its evolution, its atmosphere and our environment. Volcanoes are one of the most powerful agents of change on our planet, from creating the continents we live on to changing the climate and extinguishing life.

My research focuses on two particular themes:

1.      The largest volcanic events in Earth history: Known as Large Igneous Provinces, these have been linked to the birth of new continents, making the mineral and energy resources we depend on, and major extinctions.

2.      How life interacts with volcanism: I’m particularly interested in floating masses of pumice (pumice rafts), produced by explosive eruptions, which act as a mass-transit vehicles transporting shallow marine communities across deep oceans. These pumice rafts have the potential to help sustain coral reefs like the Great Barrier Reef.