Dr Emma Liu

Dr Emma Liu is Volcanologist and a Lecturer in the Department of Earth Sciences.

Can you tell us about your research?

I am volcanologist and my research interests focus on understanding how magmatic volatiles—such as carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide—move through subsurface volcanic systems, controlling eruptive behaviour and environmental impact. 

Developing novel strategies to collect gas samples directly from eruption plumes using unoccupied aerial systems (drones) has been key to unlocking new insights into volcanic processes and so inter-disciplinary projects between Earth Sciences and Engineering are very important to my ongoing research.

When did you join UCL and where were you before? 

I joined UCL in October 2019, so I’ve been here for just over two years – time flies! Previously, I was a Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge. I remember visiting UCL to meet with Kate Laxton about her PhD research and being really impressed with the department; then, much to my surprise, a week later a lectureship position was advertised in my field and so of course I applied. The timing was perfect.

Tell us about your work at UCL - how do you spend your days, and what makes your role different to similar positions elsewhere? 

I’d argue there is no such thing as a typical day, and that’s one of the things I enjoy the most. I could be working in the field, in the lab, at my desk, or teaching students. Fieldwork days are long and rewarding, with early starts to prepare equipment and late nights spent analysing the data collected that day. The days in the field are often physically demanding and frequently frustrating when things go wrong, but this makes the work even more satisfying. 

Now that I have taken on more teaching, I also spend a lot of time thinking about how I can bring current events, such as volcanic eruptions, into new practical classes for the students—it encourages me to think in a new way about how I communicate science within the context of complex social and environmental situations associated with ongoing eruptions.

What are some of your favourite things about working in the department? How have you found it different to previous jobs? 

Having my own office with my name on it! That felt like such as milestone moment and I think was the first time it finally sank in that I had secured a permanent academic job doing the research I enjoy. Although my first two years at UCL have been far from usual given the pandemic, I have found the Earth Sciences department to be supportive, inclusive and a place where you are given the opportunities to progress quickly, if you want to. 

I’ve been absorbed into various aspects of the department beyond my own research and teaching, such as developing virtual fieldtrips and GIS-based taught courses to replace independent mapping projects and contributing to new initiatives for student recruitment. 

It’s been a lot of work and all the different roles have brought new time management challenges compared to my previous research-only role but, ultimately, it’s rewarding to contribute to the bigger picture of what needs to come together to make a department thrive.

Can you tell us about any upcoming research or future projects that you're looking forward to working on?

When the eruption of Cumbre Vieja began on La Palma, Canary Islands, in September 2021, I responded quickly within several days to contribute to volcano monitoring efforts. It has been a fascinating yet humbling experience to study this eruption as it progresses. 

I am currently analysing gas and aerosol samples that I collected alongside local colleagues during the first few weeks of the eruption. We sampled gas from the volcanic plume to explore the processes driving the explosive behaviour and collected aerosol samples to investigate the regional air quality hazard posed by the volcanic emissions. 

The eruption ended just before Christmas, after almost three months of constant activity, but it will take many more years for the island and its communities to rebuild their lives. This eruption has also been a unique opportunity for the scientific community to observe volcanic processes through an unprecedented collaborative monitoring effort; there will be much to learn from these measurements over the coming years and it’s a privilege to be involved.

Have you always been based in London? If not, when did you move here, and how did you find adapting to living in London? 

I moved to London shortly after joining UCL and I admit it was quite a lifestyle change from living in a small village on the outskirts of Cambridge. I had just managed to get back on my feet in my new flat before the first lockdown in March 2020 gave me more than enough time to finish unpacking all those boxes. It was challenging at first, as my partner and I knew no one in a new city and the pandemic meant there were few opportunities to meet new people. However, I was fortunate in so many ways to have been in a good position to work from home and so I am thankful for that. Gradually I am exploring more of London and I look forward to all the opportunities that living in such a lively and diverse city will bring.

Finally, tell us about your non-work life. Do you have any hobbies, or favourite places to go in London? 

Running is a really important part of my life and is the main thing that helps me to maintain some work-life balance. I feel so free when I’m running outside, especially when I manage to get away to some of the UK’s wild places such as Snowdonia or the Cotswolds. 

I was a fitness instructor for several years before I moved to London; that was a lot of fun and it was amazing to see your participants improve week after week. I haven’t started teaching classes again since I moved but recently I’ve been considering re-qualifying. 

Last summer I ran four marathons in four days along the Cotswold Way to raise money for Myeloma UK, a charity close to my heart, and this year plan to step it another gear to take on the Tour du Mont Blanc in the French Alps: ~100 miles with 10,000 meters of ascent, wish me luck!