Skip to content

Erik Klemetti

Volcanologist, Denison University

I write the Eruptions blog on Big Think. I've been mesmerized with volcanoes (and geology) all my life. It helps that part of my family comes from the shadow of Nevado del Ruiz in Colombia, where I could see first hand the deadly effects of volcanic eruptions. Since then, I've taken a bit of a winding path to become a volcanologist. I started as a history major at Williams College, almost went into radio, but ended up migrating to geology, including an undergraduate thesis on Vinalhaven Island, Maine. I followed this up by changing coast to get my Ph.D. from Oregon State University. Then I ran a MC-ICP-MS lab at University of Washington for a spell (and wrote for an indie rock website). I spent three years as a postdoctoral scholar at University of California - Davis studying the inner workings of magmatic systems. I am now an assistant professor at Denison University and have projects in New Zealand, Chile and Oregon.

I am fascinated by volcanoes, their eruptions and how those eruptions interact with the people who live around the volcanoes. I started this blog after getting frustrated with the news reports of volcanic eruptions. Most of them get the information wrong and/or are just sensationalistic. I will try to summarize eruptions as they occur, translate some of the volcanic processes that are happening and comment on the reports themselves.

And no matter what people tell you, I definitely do not have a cat named Tephra. (OK, I do).

You can find out more about my research by visiting my website. If you have any comments, questions or information, feel free to contact me at eruptionsblog at gmail dot com.

Dome grows, waiting continues at Redoubt

The impressive 2009 dome oozes its way downslope, but no collapse yet as the eruption continues at Redoubt.

Volcano Profile: Mt. Vesuvius

The third in the Volcano Profile series finds us examining one of the most dangerous and famous volcanoes in the world: Italy’s Mt. Vesuvius.

Did a volcano in China cause the great Permian extinction? Maybe. Maybe not. We do know that a giant new undersea volcano was found off Indonesia and volcanoes continue to rumble worldwide. UPDATED!

SI/USGS Weekly Volcano Activity Report for 5/20-26/2009

The USGS/SI weekly volcano update, including a lot of activity in Indonesia, lahars in Guatemala and much more.

Wednesday Whatzits

Shots of the lava lake at Nyiragongo, explosions at Ubinas and Yellowstone, another volcano in Indonesia goes on higher alert and earthquakes swarms galore!

Redoubt Update for 5/26/2009

There are some signs that the new dome at Redoubt might be beginning to crumble in a piecemeal fashion, but nothing dramatic so far.

Earthquakes subsiding in Saudi Arabia

The earthquake swarm underneath Harrat Lunayyir in Saudi Arabia appears to be subsiding and officials say people may be able to return to their homes by the end of the week. What might be happening under the Saudi Arabian volcanic field?

The volcano news you might have missed this week including new monitoring equipment on Mt. Saint Helens, vog from space and the cost of the Redoubt eruption starts to be felt.

More signs point towards a Saudi Arabian eruption … or not? UPDATED

More and more, it seems that there is little question that the earthquakes felt in western Saudi Arabia have a volcanic origin … UPDATE: or maybe not?

SI/USGS Weekly Volcano Activity Report for 5/13-19/2009

Your weekly volcano update with news from Papua New Guinea, Japan, under the Pacific Ocean and Alaska.

Harrat Lunayyir and the Saudi Arabian earthquake swarm

It is clear now that the earthquakes occurring in western Saudi Arabia are centered under the Harrat Lunayyir lava field. The question is now: coincidence or concern?

Saudi Arabian earthquake update for 5/19/2009

Conflicting reports are floating around about the earthquakes in Saudi Arabia, some claiming that cracks have formed in the land near Al-Ais and smoke has been seen coming from them. However, this is not confirmed – but things continue to shake.

Mauna Kea from space

NASA released a stunning image of Mauna Kea taken by astronauts on the ISS.

Updates on the Saudi Arabian earthquakes

The mysterious Saudi Arabian earthquake swarm continues. Eruptions readers in Saudi Arabia have provided some on-the-ground updates, but the source of the seismicity is still unclear. Check back for the latest updates!

29th Anniversary of the Mount Saint Helens Eruption

It has been 29 years since the eruption at Mt. Saint Helens in Washington – an eruption that not only captivated the nation, but helped modernize volcano monitoring in the U.S.

El Misti threatens 100,000 people

You can never be too prepared with a volcano is located less than 20 km from a city of one million.

Keep the volcano images coming

So far, you’ve submitted some great volcano images. Keep them coming!

Bits of volcanic news, including a great image of the eruption at Shiveluch, evacuations related to the earthquakes in Saudi Arabia and the hazards of lake overturn (oh yes, and indie rock).

An eruption brewing in Saudi Arabia? – UPDATED

Saudi officials are attributing magma movement at shallow depths for the recent earthquake swarm in the western part of the country. Are we seeing the beginnings of the first volcanic eruption in Saudi Arabia since 1810? UPDATED

SI/USGS Weekly Volcano Activity Report for 5/6-12/2009

The latest news of global volcanism, including new dome growth at Nevado del Huila

Tuesday Tidbits

Volcanoes are lining up to be the next to have a large eruption according to scientists monitoring the volcanoes. Which one will it be?

The Social Ramifications of Volcanism

Five years after the eruption of Manam, the former inhabitants of the island in Papau New Guinea are still facing hazards, but these have nothing to do with the volcano itself.

Vote for the next Volcano Profile

Vote for the next in the Eruptions Volcano Profile series!

A veritable treasure trove of volcanic tidbits, including new undersea eruptions discovered, the end of the eruption in the Galapagos, more Aleutian noise, an excellent interactive of Indonesian volcanism and boarding down an active volcanism (a.k.a., thinning the gene pool).

Your pictures of volcanoes are wanted!

Want to see your volcano pictures on Eruptions? Sure you do!

Alert level raised at Anak Krakatau

Sounds like activity at Anak Krakatau is beginning to heat up as the PVMBG in Indonesia raises the alert level.

Earthquake swarm at the Geysers, California

Deconvolving the tectonic from volcanic signal of earthquakes can be problematic, especially in area where earthquakes of both kinds are common.

SI/USGS Weekly Volcano Activity Report for 4/29-5/5/2009

The latest, greatest news of volcanism worldwide.

Recommend Eruptions to friends and strangers

Recommend Eruptions!

Eruption started at Nyiragongo?

There are no eye witness reports from the ground yet, but satellite images suggest an eruption may be occurring at Nyiragongo in the Congo, one of the potentially most dangerous volcanoes in the world.