David Pyle
I am a volcanologist, with broad interests in understanding how volcanoes work, and in the causes and consequences of volcanic activity.
Active research topics include: using historical sources to extend our knowledge of past eruptions and their societal impacts; understanding the response of volcanoes in once-glaciated regions to the end of the last glaciation; and piecing together records of past volcanism, and understanding contemporary volcanic risk, in the Ethiopian Rift Valley and the Eastern Caribbean.
Papers (in review)
DM Pyle et al., The first seismo-volcanological observatory on Montserrat - EarthArxiv preprint
SJ Turner et al., Volcanic arc structure controlled by liquid focusing from the slab — evidence from boron isotopes and trace elements, EarthArxiv preprint
A Paine et al., New evidence for millennial-scale interactions between Hg cycling and hydroclimate from Lake Bosumtwi, Ghana, Climate of the Past (open for discussion, in review)
Current Projects (2022 - 2024)
Oxford Martin School Programme on Rethinking Natural Resources - interdisciplinary programme exploring volcanic geofluids as sources of energy and critical metals.
Curating Crises - an interdisciplinary collaboration exploring unrest at Caribbean volcanoes from 1890-2000. Funded by the AHRC - NERC 'Hidden Histories' programme
Recent Activities
Sensing Volcanoes - at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition (2023) and on tour (2024), showcasing collaborative work in the Caribbean and in the Curating Crises project.
Vesuvius 22 - interdisciplinary project to mark the 200th anniversary of a major eruption of Mt Vesuvius, Italy.
Google Arts and Culture Exhibit on the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa, based on materials in the archives of the Royal Society.
Links: resources, social media
I have taught at all levels in the undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes.
I currently teach igneous petrology and volcanology topics in the undergraduate programme (years 2 - 4), and lead field classes to Spain and Santorini. I teach occasional classes in volcanology, natural hazards and risk at post-graduate level, and often contribute to the University's summer internship programmes, UNIQ and UNIQ+.
Current Roles
Deputy Director of Teaching, and Undergraduate Advisor (2023 - )
Employment
Professor of Earth Sciences, Oxford (2008 - present)
Lecturer in Igneous Processes, Oxford (2006 - 2008)
Assistant Lecturer, Lecturer, then Senior Lecturer, Department of Earth Sciences, Cambridge (1992 - 2006)
Research Fellow, St Catharine's College, Cambridge (1989 - 1992)
College Affiliations
Fellow, St Anne's College, Oxford (2006 - )
Emeritus Fellow, St Catharine's College, Cambridge (2006 - )
Education
PhD (Geological Sciences), University of Cambridge, 1990
BA (Geological Sciences), University of Cambridge, 1986
Outside the department, but still in science:
I am trustee of the wonderful IF Oxford Science and Ideas Festival. This is an independent charity that runs an annual, distributed science festival across Oxford in October each year, and puts on both events and community programmes through the year.
I am also academic lead with Oxford Sparks - an amazing digital portal for science engagement that runs out the MPLS divisional office.
Recently I have been involved in advising the fabulous COPE Disaster Champions team with their series of accessible books for children on the theme of preparing for disasters. Their book on volcanoes is now available in eight languages. All books are free to download.
Further reading - in the press
Selected links to stories about volcanoes and research.
Resarchers looking to Caribbean volcanoes for heat and metals (July 2024)
Iceland erupts (Live Science, December 2023) - pleased with my swimming pool analogy for rate of eruption!
Iceland ready for an eruption (The Conversation, November 2023)
Montserrat Volcano Observatory unveils murals (May 2023)
Curating Crises Murals completed across Montserrat (May 2023)
Can earthquakes trigger eruptions? (National Geographic 2019)
Hawaii eruption explainer (BBC, 2018)
Volcano exhibition (New Scientist 2017)
The awesome power of volcanoes (BBC Culture 2017)
Detecting the next volcanic eruption (Natural History magazine, 2017)
The art and science of volcanoes (Artsy 2017)
Early warning signs for volcanic eruptions (BBC 2016)
Two lock down projects with my community choir
'True Colours' (Cyndi Lauper, arr. Jetse Bremmer)
'Don't Fence Me In' (Robert Fletcher and Cole Porter, arr. Stephen Taberner)