volcanic emissions, aerial (drone) monitoring strategies, natural and environmental hazards, petrology
Lecturer and Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow in Volcanology

Appointment: | Room: |
|---|---|
| Lecturer in Volcanology | Kathleen Lonsdale, 111 |
Courses Taught: | |
| GEOL0048 Geological & Geotechnical Hazards | |
| MSc Geophysical Hazards Field Trip | |
Research Group(s): | |
| Volcanology, UCL Hazards Centre | |
Email Address: | Telephone Number: |
| emma.liu@ucl.ac.uk | 020 3108 7144 (77144) |
Research Summary
Volcanic eruptions release vast quantities of ash, gas, and aerosols into the atmosphere. These emissions pose significant societal, environmental and climatic hazards that operate over a range of timescales from days to decades. My research interests are diverse and inter-disciplinary across physical volcanology, volatile/trace metal geochemistry, and volcanic hazard assessment. I seek to understand the magmatic processes and plume dynamics that govern the magnitude and impact of volcanic emissions: from the generation of volcanic ash during explosive eruptions and its transport in the atmosphere, to the geochemical controls on the outgassing of volatiles and trace metals. The novel application of Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) or ‘drones’ for aerial volcanic sampling and volcano monitoring is a key element of my research strategy.
My current project 'ABOVE: Aerial Observations of Volcanic Gas Emissions', brings together more than twenty researchers from seven different countries. We are targeting the Papua New Guinea volcanic arc, as it is home to several highly active volcanoes known from satellite observations to be strong gas emitters, but that are entirely inaccessible for ground-based measurements. Ultimately, the project will help to refine our regional, and global, estimates of volcanic carbon outgassing, and will provide critical insight into volatile recycling through the Papua New Guinea subduction zone.
Please see our Deep Carbon project webpage for updates and the digital photographic exhibition sponsored by L'Oreal-UNESCO.. You can follow my field expeditions on Twitter @EmmaLiu31.
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