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.


nn There are a few brief reports of a minor eruption at Soputan in Indonesia. The reports from the Associated Press mention a small eruption column that reached ~1,000 meters […]
nnThanks to everyone who has responded to my Eruptions poll so far. Looks like we have a couple clear favorites, based on the results right now:n n Profiles of historic eruptions […]
nn Shiveluch in Kamchatka experience a small eruption today. Russian authorities reported a ~4,500 meter ash column with associated local earthquakes, likely related to the eruption. In the same article, both […]
nn As you could probably figure out, sometimes there isn’t much new volcano-related news out there in the get interwebs. I’ve been trying to think of ways to fill in […]
nn Well, I’ll be taking one more break before summer ends here in California (yes, we run on the quarter system, so classes don’t start until the end of September). […]
I am back from my trek through the Oregon and California Cascades – including stops at Lassen Peak/Chaos Crags, Hood, Three Sisters and Crater Lake (an added bonus). I’ll try […]
nn NASA posted a nice image of the ash plume from the current eruption at Kasatochi (Alaska) showing the brown/grey ash mixing with white clouds over the Pacific. Not much […]
nn Mayon, a volcano in the Philippines, is on watch for an eruption after experiencing small explosions. Philvolcs, (short for the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology), reports a small ash […]
nn Not to feel left out from all the action going on in Alaska, Kilauea in Hawai’i has a new lava flow issuing from the Thankgiving Eve Breakout (TEB) vent area. […]