Please contact me to discuss potential projects for MSc or PhD projects or if you are interested in taking any volcanology related classes at VUW.
I am currently looking for 1 PhD student for the project
"New Zealand supereruptions and their regional impacts" to start in mid to late 2023:
I am currently looking for 1 PhD student for the project
"New Zealand supereruptions and their regional impacts" to start in mid to late 2023:
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Large explosive volcanic eruptions can drastically impact the environment. Historic events indicate that recovery of the regional environment may take years to decades, depending on the thickness and extent of the eruption products, and the ambient climate conditions. Supereruptions generate plumes that result in stratospheric ash dispersal across millions of square kilometres and pyroclastic flows can reach >100 km from vent, completely burying and reshaping the landscape. The Taupo Volcanic Zone in the central North Island of NZ has produced three supereruptions in the past 1 million years, the 1 Ma Kidnappers, 350 ka Whakamaru and 25.5 ka Oruanui supereruptions. These supereruptions would have destroyed forests and choked drainage systems across vast areas, leading to substantial disruption of hydrological and sedimentary systems both on land and offshore. With such impacts, these supereruptions may have influenced the evolutionary patterns of plant and animal species and changed ocean chemistry and marine productivity. However, these evolutionary impacts are largely unknown, whilst the severity and duration of supereruption environmental impacts remain largely speculative and are not yet constrained by quantitative assessment. This PhD project will refine the eruptive characteristics of three NZ supereruptions using fieldwork, marine cores and plume modelling to assess the nature of ash distribution over the landscape, oceans and broader Southern Hemisphere. Using multiple pollen records and other paleoecological records around New Zealand the student will interrogate the timing of the supereruptions in the contemporary climatic context and interpret regional post-supereruption changes in vegetation and environmental recovery times. This project will refine our understanding of the role of supereruptions in the Quaternary ecological and geological record of NZ. We are looking for a student with a strong background in Earth and environmental science, with broad interests in volcanology, palynology, paleoecology and environmental reconstruction. As part of a full Marsden project the student will interact and work closely with other students in our group.
Supervisors: Dr Simon Barker (VUW), Dr Katherine Holt (Massey), Dr Andrew Rees (VUW), Dr Alexa Van Eaton (USGS), Larry Mastin (USGS) Stipend: $35,000 + fees (3 years), international travel for conferences and analytical work Funding provided by 3 year Marsden project: “Climatic and environmental impacts of the largest explosive volcanic eruptions on Earth”. Based at Victoria University of Wellington. Ideal starting date: Mid to late 2023 |
Ash coverage from 3 NZ supereruptions that will be the topic of this PhD project
Outcrop of the 350 ka Whakamaru ignimbrite (welded)
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Living in Wellington
Wellington regularly ranks as one of the most liveable cities in the world. It is compact, safe, friendly, and a great place to live. See more details here: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/international/why-wellington
Earth Sciences at VUW
Victoria University of Wellington is ranked first in New Zealand for research excellence and first in New Zealand in Earth Sciences (consistently in top 100 in QS World University Rankings by Subject). The student will be joining a vibrant community of graduate students in the School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Te Kura Tātai Aro Whenua (https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/sgees).
Application process
Those wishing to apply for any of the listed projects should send a CV, indication of academic standing, list of referees, and a one-page cover letter to Simon Barker (simon.barker@vuw.ac.nz). Questions or expressions of interest can be directed to any of the listed co-supervisors. Further details of these projects and current research underway can also be found here
Full details on the VUW PhD application process are available from the Faculty of Graduate Research at: http://tinyurl.com/VUW-FGR.
Wellington regularly ranks as one of the most liveable cities in the world. It is compact, safe, friendly, and a great place to live. See more details here: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/international/why-wellington
Earth Sciences at VUW
Victoria University of Wellington is ranked first in New Zealand for research excellence and first in New Zealand in Earth Sciences (consistently in top 100 in QS World University Rankings by Subject). The student will be joining a vibrant community of graduate students in the School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Te Kura Tātai Aro Whenua (https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/sgees).
Application process
Those wishing to apply for any of the listed projects should send a CV, indication of academic standing, list of referees, and a one-page cover letter to Simon Barker (simon.barker@vuw.ac.nz). Questions or expressions of interest can be directed to any of the listed co-supervisors. Further details of these projects and current research underway can also be found here
Full details on the VUW PhD application process are available from the Faculty of Graduate Research at: http://tinyurl.com/VUW-FGR.