UAlberta Volcanic Ash Research Group

Commission on Tephrochronology presents three sessions at the EGU, come and submit and abstract: GMPV11.1 “Tephra processes and dispersal: from tephrochronology to hazard assessment applications in volcanology” SSP2.7 “Tephrochronology Beyond Boundaries: Chronology, Correlation and Innovation in Earth System Studies” ESSI3.6 "From Principles to Practice: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Data-Driven Tephra Research" Details on the submission process can be found at https://www.egu26.eu/authors/how-to-submit.html

🌋 Hello tephra & volcano fans 🌋

We have some announcements, including THREE tephra sessions at the #EGU2026 and TWO special issues! Check out our flyer below with all the details, and pass it on!
@egu.eu @ingvterremoti.bsky.social @iavcei.bsky.social @tephraportal.bsky.social
🧪⚒️

On the left: an image of an oil tanker ship at sea. On the right: text that reads “A ghost fleet of tankers is keeping Russia’s war machine afloat. The west can’t stop it. How Putin outsmarted the oil sanctions”

Falsifying manifests and locations. Turning off identification systems. Conducting offshore ship-to-ship transfers. This is piracy in the modern era, and Russia is doing all of it to shield its shadow tanker fleet. Writer Wesley Wark investigates: thewalrus.ca/a-ghost-fleet-of...

🚨New paper!

Our latest study, led by Sophie Vineberg, integrates proximal & distal tephra records to reveal the timing and dispersal of large explosive eruptions at Aso volcano (Japan) 🌋

🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2025.108436

#tephra #volcanology #Aso #Japan #LakeSuigetsu #tephrochronology

Magma emplacement and its evolution: deciphering between magmatic and tectonic processes | Aries Dr Zoja Vukmanovic, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia Dr Gareth Fabbro, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia Dr Will McCarthy, University of St Andrews...

I would like to advertise a PhD project on Magma emplacement and its evolution: aries-dtp.ac.uk/studentships... for those who have an interest in petrology, rock microstructure, and fieldwork.
Supervising team: Dr William McCarty, Prof Marian Holness, Dr Eduardo Mansur, Dr Gareth Fabbro and me.

NORDQUA - The Nordic Union for Quaternary Research Welcome to Nordqua - The Nordic Union for Quaternary Research - an organization of professional scientists from the Nordic countries.

Hello BlueSky! 👋

We are thrilled to be here and connect with everyone on this new platform!

Interested in Quaternary science in the Nordics? Then follow us for news/opportunities/jobs, and more.

Our network is also free to join at nordqua.org

Hello folks! We're thrilled to announce that the 2025 University of Alberta Space Exploration Symposium will take place Wednesday, October 15th, Thursday October 16th, and Friday, October 17th. Stay tuned for more info about participation and our two fantastic keynote speakers! 🌟

VARGtastic.

Field tripper hiking up a valley to along the escarpment that the 2010 lava flows of Eyafjallajökul flowed over

Ignimbrite deposit of an eruption from to the north that was deposited around 50 ka years ago (i think!)

Incredible hyaloclastite deposits produced by an eruption under an ice sheet.

Amazing experience to do a glacier walk on Solheimajokull.

Have been laying low, but wanting do something light hearted, I will start sharing my summer for #fieldworkFriday. In May I joined the @iavcei.bsky.social @volc-ice.bsky.social field trip in Iceland. Stunning sunny days the entire time, so I can’t go back 🤣. Ready for future field work in NW BC! ⚒️🧪

Sampling the Logan 2022 ice core for tephra!! 🌋🧊

Sampling the Logan 2022 ice core for tephra!! 🌋🧊

Pliny the cat with Dawson tephra!!

TA Shaun, from VARG, in his element teaching the students about volcanic ash, you can see two clear in this picture, Mazama at his knee and he is looking at Mount St Helens Yn

A group of young Bighorn sheep by Athabasca Glacier - a classic site in the Rockies!

Student Lachlan looks to the distance inspecting end moraines with the Athabasca glacier behind him.

Saskatchewan River Crossing with the loess cap on the terrace to the right, full of silt, paleosols and tephra!

Next we stop at a favourite: Saskatchewan Crossing. #strataday. Loess, paleosols, and three (!) volcanic ash: Mazama, Mount St Helens Yn and Bridge River. Doesn’t get much better, unless you like glaciers. We finish at Athabasca Glacier. Beautiful but heart breaking in her steady retreat. 🧪⚒️

A reminder that nominations are open for our executive and location for the next meeting.

Please email COT_general@protonmail.com if you are interested before May 1st.

This is a great opportunity especially for early career researchers- great community and network building!

🧪🌋⚒️

We made it! If you are interested Quaternary geology, archaeology, climate/environmental change and volcanology and how all those things are interconnected by volcanic ejecta, give us a follow. @inquaecr.bsky.social
@iavcei.bsky.social @comvolcseds.bsky.social @iavcei-involc.bsky.social
🧪🌋⚒️

CoT is having their elections and putting a call out for nominations, this image is a flyer that states all the details related to this - nominations open now and close April 30th. We will be in contact with nominees to have elections (online) starting in May 12th, closing May 30th. Reach out to us if you have any questions.

CoT is seeking nominations for our executive and hosts for the next Tephra Conference (2028). Interested? Questions? Check out the flyer. Nominations are open until April 30.
@iavcei.bsky.social @oxfordtephra.bsky.social
@camtephra.bsky.social @tephrotastic.bsky.social @tephraportal.bsky.social 🧪🌋⚒️

New opportunities in Canada 🇨🇦

@oxfordtephra.bsky.social
@camtephra.bsky.social
@tephraportal.bsky.social
@volcancanuck.bsky.social

Hiking up to Crater Ridge and the fog is finally lifting! Yay! We can see something!

Beautiful banded obsidian flows that make up parts of the obsidian domes that are built on the edge of the crater. Trusty ice ax for scale

MSc Shaun Woudstra pretty darned happy that we can finally see Mount Edgecumbe right beside us. Part of his thesis is looking at younger eruptions from the Mount Edgecumbe volcanic field.

A panorama standing on Crater Ridge looking down into the crater with Mount Edgecumbe peaking out to the left.

A few photos from field work in SE Alaska from last year. Taking a hike up Crater Ridge next to Mount Edgecumbe. Almost got lost in the mega-dense fog that didn’t break until we got to the top. What an adventure!
#alaska
#fieldworkfriday
#volcano
🌋⚒️

IEDA2 | tephra A collaborative data infrastructure of three complementary data systems – EarthChem, LEPR/traceDs, SESAR

Tephra Information Portal (TIP) is now on BlueSky

Project information at www.iedadata.org/communities/...

Tephra field data workshop at IAVCEI 2025 sa2025.iavceivolcano.org/workshop-12/

We're hiring!

Postdoctoral Researcher in tephrochronology-volcanology data management and end-user engagement to join the team working on the FAIR Data Communities – Tephra Information Portal (TIP) project.

jobs.concord.edu/postings/3210

Homeless puss The Cat sitting on a deer head in the snow.

And last, but not least, is "The Cat" also know by various nom de guerres Orange Cat, Orange Boy, and Pumpkin Baby. This fine feral has taken a shine to Shaun, our long suffering MSc who just can't seem to get a good 14C date no matter. The Cat seems to like his company though 🙂
#cats #YEG

Gracie Mae the cat says HELLOOOOO

Cute kitty Helios sticking out his tongue

Hermes doing the cat thing in a box

Not all of the cats in our hearts can live with us, but we get to hang with them when we go home! Also part of the VARG, we present Saskatchewanites Hermes and Helios, and sweet Gracie Mae in Nova Scotia.

Nyx the cat looking ready to pounce!

Another relatively new addition to the fold is sweet (well, maybe not that sweet, we hear she is a little feisty) Nyx, who takes very good care of @zoezonneveld.bsky.social

Misha the cat

Ollie the cat

Next we have Misha and Ollie, proud owners of Tyler, who JUST finished his BSc Honours in Geology! Congratulations kitties on getting him through that slog, with one very annoying supervisor.

Consuela, always ready for bedtime. If we only all could sleep for 20 hours!

Next we have very meow-y, shy, but very sweet, Consuela the elder, almost 16 and the inspiration (during house-sitting encounters bailing out a poor planning supervisor) behind more than one grad student taking the plunge into cat-ville

Pliny the cat posing for his debute

Pliny making biscuits

To say things are grim right now is an understatement. So we would like to share a bit of fun.

In honour of VARG PhD @hanaayousif.bsky.social finally adopting her furry feline, we present "THE CATS OF VARG". We start with the cat of the hour, Pliny! Yes, in honour of Plinian eruptions. #cats 🌋

Hello, could this lab account be added as well? It is run by this person

apps.ualberta.ca/directory/pe...

Cool. Pun intended. Earth, what a planet!

Awesome walk home last night in the blizzard. Love it! Now a beautiful crispy and cold morning. Long live winter!