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18 January 2009
Predictions, Forecasting and Eruptions
A half-joking query that I’m sure every volcanologist has encountered in their career is: “When will the volcano erupt? When’s the ‘big one’ coming?” A major misconception of the public is that volcanologists can predict eruptions. Volcanologists, on the other hand, prefer to say that they can sometimes forecast eruptions – but not all the time, and often only in rough terms. This is a situation where semantics can cause …
6 December 2008
The Fish Lake Plateau: “A most eligible summer camping-place” (Accretionary Wedge #14/15)
I haven’t done a whole lot of research yet, but I always enjoy a good chance to get out in the field. For my undergraduate thesis, this meant spending a few weeks in south-central Utah, on the High Plateaus. The work was part of the 2006 NSF Fish Lake Research Experience for Undergraduates, a joint effort between the College of William & Mary and Coastal Carolina University. The project was …
12 May 2008
At least I won’t get attacked by monkeys
I just came across an article from a July 2007 Wired Magazine article about the “Best Dangerous Science Jobs”. Guess what #7 is? Volcanologist! (I love the little graphic.) And #6 is… Graduate student. Yep, I’m doomed. Happily doomed, though.
Jessica Ball is a volcanologist at the U.S. Geological Survey, researching volcanic hydrothermal systems and stability, and doing science communication for the California Volcano Observatory. She previously worked at the Geological Society of America's Washington DC Policy Office, learning about the intersection of Earth science and legislative affairs. Her Mendenhall postdoc and PhD focused on how water affects the stability of volcanoes, and involved both field investigations and numerical modeling applications. Her blogging covers a range of topics, from her experiences in academic geosciences to science outreach and communication to her field and lab work in volcanology.