Dre Kathy Cashman - Volcanic ash from formation to impact

Résumé / Abstract:

The 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland, demonstrated the wide reach of volcanic ash and its impact on civil aviation. What is volcanic ash, and why does it cast such a long shadow, and is it possible that Montreal could be affected by far-travelled volcanic ash? I will address these questions by reviewing conditions of ash formation, ash transport and ash deposition, followed by a look ahead to the possible effects of the next very large volcanic eruption.

Kathy Cashman is a Professor at University of Bristol. She is a volcanologist who studies volcanic systems from the magma reservoir to the Earth’s surface using the combined tools of field observations and measurements, sample analysis for chemical and physical characteristics, laboratory experiments and theoretical models. The most distinctive aspect of her work is her use of quantitative analysis of all constituent phases of volcanic samples (glass, crystals and vesicles) to quantify the kinetics of phase transformations and relate these to temporal changes in the physical properties of volcanic materials. Examples of this work include the role of degassing-induced crystallisation on transitions in the styles of volcanic eruptions, relations between magma decompression, bubble formation and conditions of magma fragmentation, and the influence of crystallisation on the emplacement of lava flows. Her work has had significant impacts in the fields of igneous petrology, physical volcanology, and magmatic processes, and has stimulated new areas of research in experimental petrology and volcano studies