Author Archives: Pete Rowley

About Pete Rowley

Earth Scientist with a background in volcanology and sedimentology. Enjoys a good rant, beer, and games. Dislikes reality TV, crowds, and unreasonable people.

Strike me down

Posted on March 12, 2018 by Pete Rowley

Today I join the ranks of striking university staff*. I thought it was worth taking a few minutes to explain why. Toward the end of last year the University Superannuation Scheme (USS), which provides pensions for some 200,000 university staff … Continue reading →

Posted in General, News | 3 Comments

This is the point.

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Pete Rowley

Yesterday the European Space Agency successfully landed the Philae lander on comet 67P. Anyone can appreciate that it’s an astonishing technical achievement, but a recurring theme I have noticed on various news article comments and discussion boards is that there’s … Continue reading →

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Bárðarbunga fissure eruption

Posted on August 29, 2014 by Pete Rowley

Well, the very impressive dyke intrusion which has been steadily growing over the last week or so appears to have broken the surface. A 1 km long fissure eruption started early this morning and is ongoing – see this webcam for … Continue reading →

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The Bárðarbunga dyke intrusion

Posted on August 27, 2014 by Pete Rowley

So my previous post on Bárðarbunga focussed on the geochemistry and plumbing of the volcano, but I thought it might be useful to talk a little bit about the activity we’ve witnessed over the last week or so.  While the emphasis is always … Continue reading →

Posted in Earthquakes, Geology, News, Science, Volcanism | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Bárðarbunga – Plumbing the depths

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Pete Rowley

The internet has lit up in the last three days or so with people getting (over?)excited about activity at the volcano of Bárðarbunga in Iceland, particularly since the Icelandic Meteorological Office have been gradually ramping up the Aviation Colour Code from green (“normal, non … Continue reading →

Posted in Earthquakes, Geochemistry, Geology, Geophysics, Hazard Assessment, Volcanism | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The avoidance of negativity

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Pete Rowley

It has been a criminally long time since I posted. It’s not that I’ve had nothing to say in that time, and I’ve certainly had the time on my hands to have made a post. However, there’s a very good … Continue reading →

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Turbidity currents, pretty pictures, and an amazing 3D imaging tool

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Pete Rowley

As well as my work on pyroclastic modelling, my first postdoc was spent investigating submarine turbidity currents. It’s fair to say most of the general population have never heard of the things, which might be considered bizarre considering the fact … Continue reading →

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#IAVCEI2013 wrap-up & photos

Posted on July 27, 2013 by Pete Rowley

The conference is done, the return flight completed, and the bag of laundry dealt with. The general consensus amongst those I spoke with after the conference (and a view I agree with) was that it certainly ranks up there with … Continue reading →

Posted in Geology, Hazard Assessment, News, Science, Sedimentology, Volcanism | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

#IAVCEI2013 – The second best volcanology conference in Kagoshima

Posted on July 20, 2013 by Pete Rowley

It may come as no surprise that Kagoshima – home to the most active volcano in one of the most volcanically active countries in the world – has played host to more than this years IAVCEI meeting when it comes … Continue reading →

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#IAVCEI2013 – The land of the rising sun

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Pete Rowley

Japan is bloody hot and humid. Stepping off the plane was more like walking into a well-prepped sauna. Just thought I’d get that out of the way. After three flights, no sleep, and 3 hours in a park twiddling my thumbs … Continue reading →

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