About the lecture

In this lecture, we begin our study of recent volcanic eruptions by focusing on the June 3rd eruption of Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala. We delve into the challenges of predicting and managing volcanic disasters, highlighting the devastating impact of Fuego’s eruption, resulting in significant loss of life in nearby communities. We provide insight into the geological and environmental factors contributing to these events, offering a deeper understanding of volcanoes’ behaviour and the difficulties in mitigating their effects.

About the lecturer

Professor Matthew Watson is a Professor of Volcanoes and Climate in the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol. His research involves inversion of remotely-sensed data to retrieve physical parameters of volcanic plumes and clouds over several spatial scales, using both ground- and satellite-based techniques. These include ultraviolet (DOAS) and thermal infrared (ASTER) gas spectroscopy, and visible, near infrared (Sun-photometers) and thermal infrared aerosol retrievals (MODIS, AIRS).