I've responded to your questions below. There are many type of volcanologists. Some are experts in geophysics such as volcano seismology or ground deformation, some are physical volcanologists that study ground processes such as pyroclastic flows, lava flows, lahars, and some are petrologists who study the chemical composition of rocks and what this might tell us about storage and eruption conditions. My focus in volcanology is geologic mapping, hazard assessment and tephrochronology - all of which are inter-related. I map volcanic deposits in order to describe the eruptive history of a volcano. I use this information to create a hazard analysis of the volcano that describes what type of activity we might expect from a particular volcano, for example, does the volcano mainly produce low-level ash emissions and non-explosive lava flows, or is it more explosive and could it have a large eruption that sends ash thousands of feet into the atmosphere? I study the composition and age of tephra (ash deposits) to determine the magnitude and frequency of explosive eruptions at particular volcanoes. -Janet -------- Jen bartlett wrote: My name is Jennifer and I am a student who currently attends Guilderland High School in Guilderland, NY. For Earth Science we have to interview someone in a science related career. If you have time I was wondering if you can answer these questions for me please. 1. What are the different aspects of your job and how do you use earth science to do your job? I use geology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics to study volcanic deposits. 2. What is the typical day like for you as a volcanologist? Today I will be looking at tephra (volcanic ash) to determine its composition that will help me understand the type of eruption that produced the deposit. For example, if a tephra is composed of highly inflated pumice (volcanic glass with a lot of gas bubbles), I know that the eruption that produced that deposit was driven by fresh magma. If the tephra is composed of bits and pieces of old rock, and very little volcanic glass, I conclude that the eruption did not involve fresh magma, and might have been caused by a hydothermal (hot water) explosion. Volcanoes that are surrounded by deposits of highly inflated pumice are more hazardous than volcanoes that show a history of smaller hydrothermal explosions. Last week I was the Duty Satellite Scientist for the observatory. Every day I would look at satellite images of the volcanoes of Alaska and report on any thermal anomalies (hot ground) or ash in the atmosphere. Since Alaska volcanoes are remote, in addition to our seismic instruments, we use satellite imagery to monitor for unrest. 3. What are some advantages and disadvantages for choosing this job? Some volcanologists spend many weeks traveling and working in remote areas. To some this is an advantage, but to others, traveling so much can be difficult. 4.What is your favorite part of your job and why? My favorite part of the job is doing fieldwork, especially geologic mapping, and flying around erupting volcanoes. 6.What is your least favorite part of your job? The least favorite part of my job is the administrative side of things such as filling out timesheets, travel forms, etc. 7.How long did it take you to become a volcanologist and what did you have to do to get to where your at now? I first received an undergraduate degree in Geology (usually takes 4 years), followed by a 3-year Master’s Degree in Geology. While a graduate student, I began working on a project funded by the Alaska Volcano Observatory and gained experience mapping active volcanoes. My Geographic Information System (GIS) skills, combined with my Master’s thesis in volcanology, allowed by be selected for a geologic mapping job with the Alaska Volcano Observatory where I have now worked for over 15 years. 8.What type of volcanoes do you study? Mostly stratovolcanoes in Alaska. 9.What's the most important thing you have learned from your job? Science and the scientific process are critical in advancing our understanding of our world and to help society properly prepare for hazards posed by natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis. 10. Can you tell me some facts about the types of volcanoes that you study? There are 52 active volcanoes in Alaska. The AVO website provides a wealth of information on all the volcanoes of Alaska, including a huge library of images and descriptions of past eruptions. www.avo.alaska.edu Some notable eruptions in the past few years include Redoubt in 2009, Okmok and Kasatochi in 2008, Venimainof in 2013, Pavlof in 2014, and this year’s dome growth and explosions at Cleveland volcano over the last several years, including activity this year. You can read all about the activity by clicking the Volcano Information link on our homepage and following the links to the volcanoes. Do you have any pictures or videos of what you do at your job, if so is it possible you can email me some? If you go to the image search page of our website, and type Janet into the Caption field, you will find several pictures of me doing field work. -------- Jen bartlett wrote: My name is Jennifer and I am a student who currently attends Guilderland High School in Guilderland, NY. For Earth Science we have to interview someone in a science related career. If you have time I was wondering if you can answer these questions for me please. 1. What are the different aspects of your job and how do you use earth science to do your job? I use geology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics to study volcanic deposits. 2. What is the typical day like for you as a volcanologist? Today I will be looking at tephra (ash_ 3. What are some advantages and disadvantages for choosing this job? 4.What is your favorite part of your job and why? 6.What is your least favorite part of your job? 7.How long did it take you to become a volcanologist and what did you have to do to get to where your at now? 8.What type of volcanoes do you study? 9.What's the most important thing you have learned from your job? 10. Can you tell me some facts about the types of volcanoes that you study? Do you have any pictures or videos of what you do at your job, if so is it possible you can email me some? Thank you, Jennifer