Current funded projects
  • Fracture and fluid flow in volcanic conduits and lava domes
    Royal Society University Research Fellowship, 2010-2015, Lancaster University, ~£560 k.
  • What controls the explosivity of volcanic eruptions?
    NERC Fellowship, 2007-2010, Lancaster University, £260 k.
    Collaborators: Prof Harry Pinkerton, Prof Bruce Houghton (Hawai'i)
  • The effects of degassing and effusion rate fluctuations on the evolution of basaltic flow fields
    NERC standard grant, 2008-2011, Lancaster University, £370 k.
    Collaborators: Prof Harry Pinkerton, Dr Mike James, Jane Applegarth
  • Volatile degassing from magma: Insights from eruptions under Icelandic glaciers
    NERC New Investigator grant, 2008-2010, £6 k.
    Collaborators: Jacqui Owen (Lancaster), Dr Thor Thordarson (Edinburgh)
  • High-temperature fracture mechanics of dome lava
    NERC standard grant, 2006-2009, UCL and Lancaster University, £550 k.
    Collaborators: Prof Peter Sammonds, Dr Rosie Smith, Prof Phil Meredith (UCL)
  • Powerful explosive silicic volcanism: understanding abrupt eruption shifts in style and intensity in the 181 AD Taupo eruption.
    NSF-funded project based at University of Hawai’i, 2007-
    Collaborator: Prof Bruce Houghton (Hawai'i)
Other current collaborative projects
  • Emplacement of rhyolite lava flows, with Dr Jon Castro, Smithsonian Institution, 2005-
  • Imaging of water contents in volcanic rocks, with Dr K-U Hess and Prof. D. Dingwell (Munich), 2009-
  • Hydration and dehydration of dome lavas, with Dr Ben Kennedy (University of Canterbury, NZ), 2010-
  • The chemistry of melt inclusions in Torfajokull rhyolites, with Chiara Petrone (Cambridge) and Jacqui Owen, 2009-
  • Snake River ignimbrite eruptions, with Dr Yan Lavallee (Munich), 2009-
  • The geochemistry of geothermal meltwater in Iceland, with Dr P. Wynn (Lancaster), 2009-
  • Excess argon in Icelandic obsidians, with Dr Stephanie Flude and Dr Sarah Sherlock (Open University), 2010-
Current research students
  • Jo Denton (PhD 2006-, co-supervised by Dr Jennie Gilbert)
    Jo is studying the hydration and alteration of subglacially-erupted Icelandic rhyolitic lavas, using the new thermogravimetric analysis facility at Lancaster together with petrological and field observations.

  • Jacqui Owen (PhD 2008-, co-supervised by Harry Pinkerton, Lionel Wilson and Dave McGarvie)
    Jacqui is investigating whether magmatic volatiles control the violence of subglacial rhyolite eruptions in Iceland.

  • Anne Forbes (PhD 2009-, Open University, co-supervised by Dave McGarvie and Steve Blake).
    Anne is looking into how lavas interact with ice and snow on Icelandic volcanoes.

  • Carina Riley (MRes 2009-2010, co-supervised by Harry Pinkerton)
    Carina is studying degassing and hydration of pumice and obsidian from the ongoing Chaiten eruption in Chile.

  • Simon Miller (MRes 2009-2010, co-supverised by Peter Wynn)
    Simon is working on the geochemistry of mixing between geothermal fluids and glacial melwater in Iceland.

  • Nicky Woodroffe (BSc, co-supervised by Mark Hounslow)
    Nicky is measuring the magnetic properties of Icelandic lavas to shed light on their crystal populations.





Previous funded projects
  • 2004-2006 Leverhulme Research Fellowship, Lancaster University and UCL
     Title - Fracture and flow of magma in nature and the lab
    Collaborators: Prof Peter Sammonds (UCL), Prof Harry Pinkerton (Lancaster)
  • 2003-2004 Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship, University of Munich
     I worked with Prof Don Dingwell on volcanic earthquakes and brittle-ductile magma deformation.
  • 1998-2001 Open University PhD studentship Title: Subglacial rhyolite volcanism at Torfajokull, Iceland.
    Supervisors: Dr Dave McGarvie (OU), Dr Jennie Gilbert and Prof Harry Pinkerton (Lancaster)




Dr. Hugh Tuffen
Royal Society University Research Fellow