The Capelinhos eruption

In 1957 the Azores islands, Portugal, saw a classic example of a Surtseyan eruption, one that came uncomfortably close to the island of Faial. Prior to this, the 1672–73 Cabeço do Fogo eruption resulted in…

Submarine eruptions – eruptions that occur below our oceans – are fascinating. Volcanology has been learning a lot more about them in the past decade or so, but there is still so much we don’t…

When researching large submarine landslides below our oceans, an alien example caught my attention. About 51 million years ago a meteorite hit the continental shelf about 200 km south of Nova Scotia, Canada. This location…

Last week I woke up to find a set of MetService weather alerts on my phone. Safe in my Wellington apartment, I was unaware of the chaos that had erupted nearby. Residents woke in the…

I’ve been living in Wellington for about five months now and I said I’d give updates on how I am preparing myself for potential earthquakes and other hazards. Am I following my own advice? I…

As I write this, I am waiting with the rest of you to see how our North Island has fared through Cyclone Vaianu. We watched preparedness and response unfold in real time. Emergency declarations enabled…

A lot of work goes into understanding ancient tsunamis and their impacts. The Storegga Slide is a giant submarine landslide that occurred thousands of years ago below the sea, offshore from southern Norway. This is…

I am fortunate to have worked with student Ash Harden at the University of Bristol, UK, during my time in Tenerife last year. We had a call about their master’s research on pumice rafts so…

How we support each other contributes to the strength of our communities. What does this have to do with hazards and disasters? Stronger communities respond and recover better, and this includes caring for our most…

We love our beaches. Some of us love our sandy seaside, while others prefer our rockier beaches, covered in pebbles or stones. Each one of these grains or rocks has an individual history, shaped by…