A man stands on a rocky outcrop photographing an eruption on Mount Etna

Earth Science

Group Leader

Michael James

Professor Michael James

Professor in Volcanology

DSI - Environment, Earth Science, Lancaster Intelligent, Robotic and Autonomous Systems Centre, LIRA - Environmental Modelling, Understanding a changing planet

B522a, B - Floor, LEC 1 & 2

Projects

Impact of the Plio-Pleistocene transition on provenance and sediment routing from the Himalaya to the deep-sea Bengal Fan
01/10/2022 → 21/07/2026
Research

IMPROVE : Innovative Multi-disciPlinary European Research training netwOrk on VolcanoEs
01/09/2021 → 31/08/2025
Research

Detecting soil degradation and restoration through a novel coupled sensor and machine learning framework
31/01/2020 → 16/09/2024
Research

Predicting geotechnical behaviour to hydraulic fracturing
01/04/2019 → 30/10/2019
Research

R4AsH : Radar-supported Next-Generation Forecasting of Volcanic Ash Hazard
01/04/2019 → 31/03/2024
Research

ENVISION: Fracking magma: field and experimental investigation of hydrofracture in volcanic systems - Student: Holly Unwin
01/10/2018 → 30/11/2022
Research

MSI: Protecting playgrounds
01/10/2018 → 30/09/2019
Research

Protecting playgrounds
01/10/2018 → 30/06/2021
Research

Identifying and Evaluating New Environmental Risk Factors for Cancer, Cardiovascular, and Neurological Diseases through Innovative Approaches to Population-Based Exposure Assessment
02/04/2018 → 01/12/2020
Other

Identifying and Evaluating New Environmental Risk Factors for Cancer, Cardiovascular, and Neurological Diseases through Innovative Approaches to Population-Based Exposure Assessment
01/04/2018 → 31/12/2020
Research

Predicting geotechnical behaviour to hydraulic fracturing, using multivariate geochemistry, sediment fabric and down-hole log data
01/04/2018 → 30/09/2018
Research

Testing the 'megadrought' hypothesis : the timing, cause and impacts of climate change in equatorial Africa.
01/06/2017 → 31/05/2021
Research

Brake Dust Emissions
01/01/2017 → 30/04/2022
Research

New Zealand Catalyst grant: Magma geothermal energy
01/09/2016 → 31/08/2019
Other

Volcanic Valves: The permeability of tuffisites
29/03/2016 → 28/03/2020
Research

RAPID 2G Magenetometer with Field Tumbling Capability
01/12/2014 → 01/12/2018
Research

Chappell - CWC Extension Grant
01/10/2014 → 31/03/2015
Research

Resilience of Artificial Gravel Beach and Implications for Coastal Management
01/10/2014 → 30/09/2015
Research

Sediment source tracing, the Tamar basin
03/03/2014 → …
Research

Magnetic particles in human brains
03/02/2014 → …
Research

Understanding Katla; Iceland's Notorious and Restless Volcano: Lessons from 1918
01/07/2013 → 31/03/2016
Research

Piloting a Cost-Effective Framework for Monitoring Soil Erosion in England and Wales
01/06/2013 → 31/05/2016
Research

FP7: iTECC Investigating Tectonism Erosion Climate Couplings
01/01/2013 → 30/06/2017
Research

Water Security - Feasibility Studies: Assessing the feasibility of using novel sub-micron, magnetic sorbent material for the removal of dissolved organic carbon from Blue Water
16/09/2012 → 15/03/2013
Research

Dalradian rock magnetic study: Northern Ireland
04/06/2012 → 05/05/2013
Research

Fabric of a Borderland Core
04/06/2012 → 03/06/2013
Research

magnetic susceptibilty as a proxy for identifying tropical soils affected by erosion, fire, drainage conditions & anthropogenic pollution
01/06/2012 → 31/01/2013
Research

Diversity in Upland Rivers for Ecosystem Service Sustainability - DURESS
01/05/2012 → 30/06/2016
Research

Differential scanning calorimetry
02/04/2012 → 31/03/2014
Research

FP7: NEMOH: numerical, experimental & stochastic modelling of vOlcanic processes and hazards
01/01/2012 → 31/12/2015
Research

Determining the palaedrainage history of the Nile River: Investigating land-ocean atmosphere inter.
01/10/2011 → 30/09/2015
Research

Quantifying degassing-driven crystal growth in basaltic lavas
29/08/2011 → 28/08/2012
Research

Fracture and Fluid Flow in Volcanic Conduits and Lava Domes
01/10/2010 → 30/09/2015
Research

River capture in the easternmost himalaya
01/09/2009 → 30/06/2013
Research

The effects of degassing and effusion rate fluctuations on the evolution of basaltic lava flow
01/01/2009 → 31/12/2012
Research

Goldschmidt Conference
13/07/2008 → 24/07/2008
Research

Research Activity

Within LEC, the Earth Science Group research activities span four main areas of expertise:

  • Volcanology and Hazards
  • Contemporary Environmental Processes
  • Sub-surface Fluids
  • Palaeoclimatology and Palaeoenvironments

Follow us on LancsUniEarth on Twitter or find us on LancasterEarthSciences on Facebook.

Volcanology and Hazards

The Volcanology research group at Lancaster investigates the processes that control hazardous volcanic activity. We have a wide range of expertise, spanning field measurement, experimentation, numerical modelling and geochemistry. Our current projects include characterisation of advancing basalt and rhyolite lava flows using imaging techniques, investigation of Strombolian eruptions using analogue experiments, the study of ash generation and transport in recent Icelandic eruptions, experimental degassing and crystallisation of magma, and both modelling and geochemical studies of volcano-ice interactions.

Volcanology and Hazards

Contemporary Environmental Processes

Our research in contemporary environmental processes aims to better understand the dynamics involved in glacial, coastal and fluvial systems, as well as studying atmospheric particulate pollution Our active projects employ a wide range of approaches ranging from remote sensing to magnetic and isotopic techniques.

Contemporary Environmental Processes

Sub-surface Fluids

Our research into sub-surface fluids involves studying the wide variety of fluids that are found in the Earth's crust. We have diverse projects ranging from looking at groundwater quality and flow to how hydrocarbon reservoirs form and evolve. We are actively engaged in analytical and modelling studies of natural CO2 in the subsurface, not only as a means to understand how safe carbon capture and storage is, but also as a way to identify how the crust and the atmosphere interact over geological time. We also have interests in the subsurface processes that occur during fracking.

Sub-surface Fluids
Joshua Doubek / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Palaeoenvironments and Palaeoclimates

We reconstruct palaeoenvironments and palaeoclimates on a range of temporal and spatial scales. Our work includes determination of palaeogeographies and hinterland tectonics, and palaeoclimatic reconstruction and dating involving variety of approaches including the use of lake sediment records, stable isotopes, dendrochemistry and speleothems<, volcanic facies and degassing data and both palaeomagnetism and environmental magnetism.

Palaeoenvironments and Palaeoclimates

Research Highlights