Kerry Reid

Monitoring an active volcano in Nicaragua: from bubbly magma to smelly plumes!

Kerry Reid

When most people picture an active volcano, they probably don’t imagine one like Masaya in Nicaragua. Instead, it’s likely that they picture Hollywood-style ash clouds and lava flows that wipe out massive forests and settlements. However, just as a violent eruption dramatically alters the landscape around it, Masaya’s plume powerfully shapes its environment, from destroying crops to attracting bees.

As a volcanologist, my job is to trace the path and fate of the gases released by the volcano, starting from the volcano’s magma and moving up through the plume. Knowledge of how volcanic pollutants are produced, how they travel and where they end up can help people live more harmoniously with the Volcano.

In my talk I’ll explain how my research can help provide a better insight as to what is governing the volcanic activity observed at Masaya, with the potential to improve evacuation plans and mitigation measures.

Kerry is a second-year PhD student in the Department of Environment, Earth and Ecosystems at the Open University. She is researching persistent degassing behaviour at Masaya volcano in Nicaragua.