Scientists in Dominica for volcanology interdisciplinary project

Researchers from Caribbean and US institutions are currently on a two-week field trip to Dominica.

The island is hosting scientists from the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre (UWI-SRC), working in collaboration with colleagues from the USA’s Union College, Oberlin College and the Smithsonian Institute.

The interdisciplinary project aims to understand how different processes have shaped the Dominican landscape and history in the past and how they may manifest in the future.

The group hope that the island’s complicated – and explosive – history will be better understood through geochronology and petrologic studies.

The field class will build upon the work done by the UWI-SRC by characterising meteoric and hydrothermal waters, as well as volcanic gasses, from fumaroles to contribute to baseline monitoring of volcanic activity for use in detecting volcanic unrest.

Fumaroles are openings in or near a volcano, through which hot sulphurous gases emerge.

Attempts will be made to also study how the landscape has affected the settlement of people and the history of landslides.

The field trip will be led by Dr Holli Frey (Union College), Dr Erouscilla Joseph (UWI-SRC), Dr Amanda Schmidt (Oberlin College) and Dr Laura Waters (Smithsonian Institute).