top of page

David Brown - Staff Adviser (Volcanology)

 

David is a Lecturer in Volcanology: he is excited to be studying another active volcano and hopefully witnessing the eruption of its bizarre brown lava! Ol Doinyo Lengai is arguably the world’s strangest volcano, and David is drawn to its unique geological setting and the unusual deposits its carbonatite magmas produce. His passion for geology stems from spending much time as a fat kid desperately clinging to rocks while climbing up hills on Scout hikes. Having shed a few pounds, he has continued to be involved in outdoor expeditions and working in challenging environments. He was inspired by volcanoes from watching footage of the pyroclastic eruption of Mt St Helens in 1980. During his studies and research he has been lucky enough to travel the world and visit active volcanoes in New Zealand, Japan, Indonesia, Iceland, Italy, Spain and America, achieving his dream of climbing to the summit and active lava dome of Mt St Helens two years ago. The expedition offers a unique opportunity to visit another one of the world’s most iconic volcanoes.

 

David was honoured to be approached by the students to be involved with their expedition. His role is Volcanology Adviser and he will be using his 10 years of research experience on volcanoes to assist the students with their field studies and volcanological interpretations. He has identified some simple research questions and will help the students undertake these activities and co-ordinate their data (geological maps, logs of eruption deposits, rock samples, and field photographs). David is inspired by teaching all aspects of earth science, especially field-based studies and projects where students are involved in active research. He is particularly excited to see how the students will take a basic research question and develop their own ideas and sub-projects. Our understanding of the pyroclastic eruptions produced by the unusual carbonatite magmas of this volcano is very limited, and David is confident that cutting-edge volcanological research will be generated by the expedition, hopefully leading to scientific publication with the students. The knowledge exchange between the students is an exciting and integral part of this expedition, and he looks forward to establishing further links with the University of Dodoma, and perhaps future expeditions. This will also be David’s first visit to Africa, and he is excited by the cultural and environmental challenges and experiences that lie ahead.

bottom of page