Erouscilla Joseph

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Erouscilla Joseph
Alma mater University of the West Indies
Scientific career
Institutions University of the West Indies

Erouscilla "Pat" Joseph is a volcanologist, and Director of the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre, which oversees seismic and volcanic monitoring of the English-speaking Eastern Caribbean. She led the volcanological management of the 2021 La Soufriere eruptions on Saint Vincent, for which the Seismic Research Centre received global accolades. [1] [2]

Contents

Biography

Joseph graduated from UWI St Augustine in 1999 with a BSc degree in Chemistry and Zoology. She went on to complete an MPhil in Chemistry in 2003. In 2008, Joseph was the first PhD graduate in volcanology from UWI, with a thesis titled "Geochemistry of Geothermal Systems in Saint Lucia and Dominica, Lesser Antilles: Implications for Volcanic Monitoring”. [3] Her thesis work included studies of the health-hazard impacts of volcanic gases on tourists at the Sulphur Springs Park, St Lucia; the world's only 'drive in' volcano. This work was recognised in 2018 by the Institute for Gender and Development Studies at UWI, as a celebration of '70+ Outstanding UWI Women', [4] and she was named as “ Trailblazer of Volcanology for Tourism.”

Career

Joseph has worked for the Seismic Research Centre since 2009. She was employed first as Research Fellow, and then as Director since 2019, succeeding Richard Robertson. [5] Her particular expertise is the study of volcanic, hydrothermal and geothermal fluids, and she has published many papers on these topics. [6] [7] She has worked across many of the volcanic islands of the Eastern Caribbean, including St Vincent, Montserrat, St Lucia and Dominica, both in response to volcanic or seismic unrest, and to develop programmes of public outreach, education and information-sharing about hot springs, volcanoes, earthquakes and related phenomena. As Director of the Seismic Research Centre, Joseph led the emergency volcano management and crisis response to the 2021 eruptions of La Soufriere, St Vincent. In her role as Director, Joseph had a very significant media presence from the start of the crisis. [8] The events on St Vincent continued to garner a lot of press coverage, as the volcanic eruption ramped up to a major sequence of explosions over the course of January - April 2021, and led to ash fallout across the St Vincent and Barbados. [9] [10] Joseph and the Seismic Research Centre were awarded the Volcano Surveillance and Crisis Management award by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of Earth's Interior for their response to this eruption. [11] Joseph was the lead author on the first scientific paper to describe the 2021 eruption, and the response to the events. [12]

Related Research Articles

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A volcanologist, or volcano scientist, is a geologist who focuses on understanding the formation and eruptive activity of volcanoes. Volcanologists frequently visit volcanoes, sometimes active ones, to observe and monitor volcanic eruptions, collect eruptive products including tephra, rock and lava samples. One major focus of inquiry in recent times is the prediction of eruptions to alleviate the impact on surrounding populations and monitor natural hazards associated with volcanic activity. Geologists who research volcanic materials that make up the solid Earth are referred to as igneous petrologists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Grande Soufrière</span>

La Grande Soufrière, or simply Soufrière, is an active stratovolcano on the French island of Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe. It is the highest mountain peak in the Lesser Antilles, rising 1,467 m high.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lava dome</span> Roughly circular protrusion from slowly extruded viscous volcanic lava

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Soufrière (volcano)</span> Active stratovolcano on the Caribbean island Saint Vincent

La Soufrière or Soufrière Saint Vincent is an active stratovolcano on the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is the highest peak in Saint Vincent, and has had five recorded explosive eruptions since 1718. The latest eruptive activity began on 27 December 2020 with the slow extrusion of a dome of lava, and culminated in a series of explosive events between 9 and 22 April 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haraldur Sigurðsson</span> Icelandic volcanologist and geochemist (born 1939)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montserrat Volcano Observatory</span> Volcano observatory located on the Caribbean island of Montserrat

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Voight</span> American geologist (born 1937)

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Clive Oppenheimer is a British volcanologist, and Professor of Volcanology in the Department of Geography of the University of Cambridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ticsani</span> Volcano in Peru

Ticsani is a volcano in Peru northwest of Moquegua and consists of two volcanoes that form a complex. "Old Ticsani" is a compound volcano that underwent a large collapse in the past and shed 15–30 cubic kilometres (3.6–7.2 cu mi) of mass down the Rio Tambo valley. Today an arcuate ridge remains of this edifice. "Modern Ticsani" is a complex of three lava domes which were emplaced during the Holocene. Two large eruptions took place during the Holocene, producing the so-called "Grey Ticsani" and "Brown Ticsani" deposits; the last eruption occurred after the 1600 eruption of neighbouring Huaynaputina. The volcano is seismically active and features active hot springs and fumaroles; since 2015 the volcano is monitored by the Peruvian government.

Jenni Barclay is a professor of volcanology at the University of East Anglia. She works on ways to mitigate volcanic risks, the interactions between rainfall and volcanic activity and the communication of volcanic hazards in the Caribbean. Barclay leads the NERC-ESRC funded Strengthening Resilience to Volcanic Hazards (STREVA) research project as well as a Leverhulme Trust programme looking at the volcanic history of the Ascension Islands.

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Joan L. Latchman is a seismologist from Trinidad and Tobago who was the first woman to lead the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre. She was awarded the 2019 Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency Council Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 eruption of La Soufrière</span> Volcanic eruption in the Caribbean

La Soufrière, a stratovolcano on the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, began an effusive eruption on 27 December 2020. On 9 April 2021 there was an explosive eruption, and the volcano "continued to erupt explosively" over the following days, with pyroclastic flows. The activity pattern of the eruption was comparable to that of the event that occurred in 1902, which had a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 4. The volcano is known to have erupted 23 times in the last 4,000 years, and had been dormant since 1979.

Jan Lindsay is a New Zealand geologist and Professor of Volcanology at Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Marta Lucía Calvache Velasco is a Colombian geologist and volcanologist, best known for her work on geological hazards and risk reduction in Colombia.

The University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre (UWI-SRC) is a centre for volcanological, seismic and geophysical research in Trinidad, which has the responsibility for monitoring and studying earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis across the Eastern Caribbean. Part of the University of the West Indies, it is also responsible for providing formal advice, and information, around the volcanic, seismic and tsunami hazards and events across the region, to reduce risk and protect lives and livelihoods. In recent years, UWI-SRC has managed ongoing volcanic unrest at the Soufriere Hills Volcano through the running of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory, and the 2020–2021 eruptions of La Soufrière on St Vincent.

References

  1. ↑ https://our.today/uwi-seismic-research-centre-cops-global-award-for-managing-la-soufriere-crisis/ UWI Seismic Research Centre cops global award for managing La Soufrière crisis
  2. ↑ "Archives". CARICOM Today.
  3. ↑ "UWI Today".
  4. ↑ https://uwiseismic.com/uwi-src-volcanologist-selected-as-an-outstanding-woman-of-the-uwi/ UWI-SRC Volcanologist Selected as an Outstanding Woman of the UWI | The UWI Seismic Research Centre
  5. ↑ "Erouscilla Joseph | The UWI Seismic Research Centre". uwiseismic.com.
  6. ↑ Morales-Simfors, Nury; Bundschuh, Jochen; Herath, Indika; Inguaggiato, Claudio; Caselli, Alberto T.; Tapia, Joseline; Choquehuayta, Fredy Erlingtton Apaza; Armienta, María Aurora; Ormachea, Mauricio; Joseph, Erouscilla; López, Dina L. (May 10, 2020). "Arsenic in Latin America: A critical overview on the geochemistry of arsenic originating from geothermal features and volcanic emissions for solving its environmental consequences". Science of the Total Environment. 716: 135564. Bibcode:2020ScTEn.716m5564M. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135564. hdl: 20.500.12544/2632 . PMID   31918910. S2CID   210131824 – via ScienceDirect.
  7. ↑ Joseph, Erouscilla P.; Fournier, Nicolas; Lindsay, Jan M.; Fischer, Tobias P. (September 1, 2011). "Gas and water geochemistry of geothermal systems in Dominica, Lesser Antilles island arc". Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. 206 (1): 1–14. Bibcode:2011JVGR..206....1J. doi:10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2011.06.007 – via ScienceDirect.
  8. ↑ Kamara, Zainab (January 19, 2021). "UWI warns Vincentians: Be vigilant, be prepared as volcanic activity continues - Trinidad and Tobago Newsday". newsday.co.tt.
  9. ↑ https://trinidadexpress.com/newsextra/3-explosive-eruptions-now-volcanic-lightning/article_61045384-99a0-11eb-b829-03cb19f7e77e.html 3 explosive eruptions, now volcanic lightning][https://www.barbadosadvocate.com/news/eye-la-soufri%C3%A8re Eye on La Soufrière | Barbados Advocate
  10. ↑ https://www.thestkittsnevisobserver.com/svg-la-soufriere-goes-back-to-sleep-scientists-go-home/ SV&G: La Soufriere Goes Back to Sleep, Scientists Go Home
  11. ↑ https://www.iavceivolcano.org/guidelines-for-iavcei-awards/volcanic-surveillance-and-crisis-management-award/ Volcanic Surveillance and Crisis Management Award
  12. ↑ Joseph, E. P.; Camejo-Harry, M.; Christopher, T.; Contreras-Arratia, R.; Edwards, S.; Graham, O.; Johnson, M.; Juman, A.; Latchman, J. L.; Lynch, L.; Miller, V. L.; Papadopoulos, I.; Pascal, K.; Robertson, R.; Ryan, G. A.; Stinton, A.; Grandin, R.; Hamling, I.; Jo, M.-J.; Barclay, J.; Cole, P.; Davies, B. V.; Sparks, R. S. J. (July 15, 2022). "Responding to eruptive transitions during the 2020–2021 eruption of La Soufrière volcano, St. Vincent". Nature Communications. 13 (1): 4129. Bibcode:2022NatCo..13.4129J. doi:10.1038/s41467-022-31901-4. PMC   9287448 . PMID   35840594.
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