After a week doing fieldwork in the villages south of Fuego, my friend Beth and I discussed the importance of reflecting on our work. Beth suggested that as well as evaluating our research approaches, it would be important to write about what it feels like to be there. I thought this was a splendid idea. … Continue reading A tale of two aldeas
"Fueron dos veces fuertes. Dos erupciones fuertes hubieron ... la primerita fuera la que más nos asustó. Porque no habíamos visto esa clase de erupción. Solamente ... ya estabamos acostumbrados. Yo desde cuando nací, yo creo que ya el volcán estaba haciendo erupción. Pero solo se bañaba en fuego, así, ¡que bonito el volcán! Podía … Continue reading Legados y leyendas, y un camarón volcánico
"There were two desperate times. Two strong eruptions ... the first was the one that most scared us. Because we had not seen this type of eruption. Only ... we were already used to it. I believe the volcano was already erupting since when I was born. But it only bathed itself in fire, just … Continue reading Legacy and legend, and a volcanic prawn
I can't remember who first proposed we should see the ovens above Panimaché Dos. Perhaps it was my friend Arelis, before she left with Beth to speak to Doña Elena. I had chosen to stay behind, to talk with Arelis's mother, Marta, about her memories of Fuego's 1974 eruption. My ears pricked up in interest. … Continue reading I’m oven it like that
"Geology is too important to be left to geologists." - Patrick Corbett Guatemala. Although by name the land of many trees, I encourage you to consider it fauna not flora. You will find it alive and bristling, breathing its hot breath. From its sinuous green skin spring spines of sheer earth, steep and sharp. The … Continue reading Guatemala Vuelta
It's finally done! I began a PhD thinking one finished with a "big bang" of the viva voce, with its teeming discussion with your examiners and, afterwards, continuing the debate over drinks. It turns out you leave a PhD by a series of bangs and whimpers, from the original submission, through the viva, corrections, exam … Continue reading PhDone
As I grow up in the research world, making my research open becomes increasingly important. "Open research" is research conducted in a transparent and open way to make research methods and products as accessible as possible. Essentially, it's research with a spirit of generosity. Publishing in open-access journals, making research data and software freely available, … Continue reading Open Sesame!
At dawn the ants riseMarch to probe the dragon's backIt exhales fire, piqued We made the cover of VOLCANICA! Find the current issue, brimming with astonishing science, here (Vol. 3, No. 2). Our article, Fireside Tales, tells tales of past eruptions and evacuations at Fuego through interviews with local people. The cover photo was taken … Continue reading Just look at that volcano
La semana pasada me dió mucho gusto de asistir a un episodio de Millenials Sí Hablan de Política, una serie de podcast fundado por mis amigos y colegas Claudio Contreras Hidalgo y Eduardo Becerra. En este episodio platicamos juntos con Bárbara Ruiz y Christian Pizarro sobre el conocimiento de amenazas volcánicas y la divulgación de … Continue reading Millenials Sí Hablan De Volcanes
This blog post is a condensed version of a research article published on 7th October in VOLCANICA. You can find the full article here. It's fully open-access and free to download. Volcanoes present one of nature’s most spectacular sights and, while most of us would be hugely impressed by the breathtaking spectacle of the flames, … Continue reading Fireside Tales
Reasoning With Volcanoes 