Faculty members affiliated with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Volcanology Group

Jim Begét
Dr. Jim Begét  Professor of Geology University of Alaska Fairbanks, Department of Geology and Geophysics

Ph.D., 1981 University of Washington (Seattle)
M.S., 1977 University of Washington (Seattle)
B.A., 1974 Columbia University
University of Alaska Fairbanks Department of Geology and Geophysics
P.O. Box 755780, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5780

Phone:  907-474-5301     Fax:  907-474-5163
E-mail: ffjeb1 [at] uaf [dot] edu

Dr. Begét studies the Quaternary history of volcanic and glaciated regions. He is currently investigating the history and distribution of Late Pleistocene and Holocene volcanic ash falls in Alaska. Tephra deposits are being studied in areas near Fairbanks and the central Alaska Range, as well as near source volcanoes on the Aleutian Peninsula and the Wrangell Mountains. Studies of the age, volume, and geochemical characteristics of ash layers will develop the tephrochronologic dating method for Quaternary sediments in Alaska, and help reconstruct eruption histories for active Alaskan volcanoes. Dr. Begét is also reconstructing glacier profiles, dynamics, and chronologies for Pleistocene ice sheets and glaciers. In addition, investigations of stratigraphy and physical characteristics of thick loess deposits in Alaska are being studied as proxy records of climate changes in the Arctic during the last 1,000 to 1,000,000 years. Jim has been involved with the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) since its founding in 1986, and also receives research support from the National Science Foundation. He is currently president of the Commission on Tephrochronology and Volcanology of the International Quaternary Association (INQUA-COTAV), and is also a member of the Leader's Group of the Past Global Climate Change Program of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Project (IGBP-PAGES), researching Volcano-Climate Interactions. His current research program emphasizes tephra studes and volcano eruption histories, and has involved projects at Augustine, Redoubt, Spurr, Iliamna, Douglass, Katmai, Shishaldin Makushin, and other volcanoes in the eastern Aleutian arc.

Ken Dean

Ken Dean  Research Professor University of Alaska Fairbanks, UAF/GI

M.S., 1979 University of Alaska Fairbanks
B.S., 1972 Northern Arizona University
Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks
903 Koyukuk Drive, P.O. Box 757320, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7320

Phone:  907-474-7364     Fax:  907-474-7290
E-mail: kdean [at] dino [dot] gi [dot] alaska [dot] edu

Kenneson G. Dean leads the satellite-monitoring group for the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) project in Fairbanks. Research objectives include dynamics, spectral properties and composition of eruption clouds; the dynamics and sources of thermal anomalies; and changes in surface landforms caused by eruptions. Satellite data are used to detect, monitor and analyze potential airborne and surface hazards resulting from volcanic eruptions, including volcanic clouds and thermal anomalies. Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images are used for daily monitoring and analysis. AVHRR and MODIS data are received and analyzed in real-time at stations at the Geophysical Institute. GOES data is received over computer networks. Landsat, Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data are used for retrospective studies of surface volcanic processes.

Volcanoes in the North Pacific Region include those in Alaska and on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, are the primary focus of these studies. Analyzed images are shared with various components of the AVO through a file server and ftp in near real-time. . Another component of his research involves the Puff dispersion model, which is used to predict the movement, dynamics and structure of volcanic ash clouds. The model uses current wind fields to track hypothetical particles on a global or regional scale. Dispersion, settling, particle size, plume height and shape of the eruption column are input parameters. The model is used for both volcano monitoring and research. The focus of research includes probability maps of the distribution of ash particles in the North Pacific Region, model sensitivity analyses and fallout predictions. The model is actively updated and improved based on research results. Ken teaches a graduate class entitled, "Remote Sensing of Volcanic Eruptions," (GEOS 692) in the Department of Geology and Geophysics. This class is taught every other year and is focused on satellite monitoring techniques used at AVO and other volcano observatories around the world. Jonathan Dehn is a co-instructor for the class. Graduate students under Ken's direction learn about acquisition, processing and analysis of satellite data, and how these data are used to monitor and study volcanic processes. Students are a critical component to daily volcano monitoring for the AVO project.

Completed Student Theses:

• SO2 emitted by volcanoes in the North Pacific Region, Courtney Kearney
• Dynamics of thermal anomalies at active domes, Andrea Kearney
• Numerical Modeling of Lava Flow Cooling Applied to the 1997 Okmok Eruption: Comparison with AVHRR Satellite Imagery - MS Thesis, Matthew Patrick
• An Analysis of Volcanic Plume Ash Plume Movement and Dispersion within the North Pacific Region - MS Thesis, Kenneth R. Papp
• Satellite Thermal Remote Sensing of the Volcanoes of Alaska and Kamchatka During 1994-1996 and the 1994 Eruption of Kliuchevskoi Volcano - MS Thesis - W. Christopher Wyatt
• Merging Remotely Sensed Data with Geophysical Parameters - PhD Dissertation, Craig Searcy

Jonathan Dehn
Dr. Jonathan Dehn  Research Associate Professor University of Alaska Fairbanks, UAF/GI

Ph.D., 1992 Christian-Albrecht, Universität Kiel (Germany)
M.S., 1987 Arizona State University
B.S., 1984 Arizona State University
Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks
903 Koyukuk Drive, P.O. Box 757320, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7320

Phone:  907-474-6499     Fax:  907-474-5618
E-mail: jdehn [at] gi [dot] alaska [dot] edu [Home Page]
Dr. Dehn studies volcanology through remote sensing techniques at the Alaska Volcano Observatory. He organized the first Internal Workshop on Kamchatkan-Aleutian Subduction Processes in Petropavlosk, Russia, and has started new collaborations with colleagues throughout the North Pacific Region. Before coming to the Geopyhsical Institute, Dehn held positions at Kiel University's GEOMAR marine research center in Germany, and at the Geolog
ical Survey of Japan's Hokkaido Branch in Sapporo. Dehn is also a three-time Fulbright Scholar to Germany.

Jeffrey T. Freymueller
Dr. Jeffrey T. Freymueller  Professor of Geophysics University of Alaska Fairbanks, UAF/GI

Ph.D., (Geophysics) 1991 University of Southern Carolina
M.S., (Geophysics) 1988 University of Southern Carolina
B.S., (Geophysics) 1985 California Institute of Technology
Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks
903 Koyukuk Drive, P.O. Box 757320, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7320

Phone:  907-474-7286     Fax:  907-474-7290
E-mail: jeff [dot] freymueller [at] alaska [dot] edu [Home Page]

Dr. Freymueller is a member of the Seismology Group at the Geophysical Institute, and a cooperating faculty member of the Department of Geology and Geophysics. His current research interests include:

1. the active tectonics of Alaska
2. ground deformation due to active volcanism in Alaska
3. behavior of the San Andreas fault system in Northern California, and the partitioning of plate boundary deformation in the western United States
4. the partitioning of deformation among the various elements of the India/Eurasia plate boundary zone

Dr. Freymueller has conducted his research in Alaska, California, China and South America, and has active involvement in regional studies of crustal movements on three continents, as well as global studies.

Pavel Izbekov
Dr. Pavel Izbekov  Research Associate University of Alaska Fairbanks, UAF/GI

Ph.D. Geology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2002
B.Sc. Geochemistry, Novosibirsk State University (Russia), 1992
Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks
903 Koyukuk Drive, P.O. Box 757320, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7320

Phone:  907-474-5269   
E-mail: pavel [at] gi [dot] alaska [dot] edu [Home Page]

Pavel is the Research Associate with the Geophysical Institute, who investigates magma processes in volcanic arcs through petrologic and experimental studies of igneous rocks. He has expertise in igneous petrology, experimental petrology, analytical techniques, and remote sensing. He involves students in extensive hard-core field works through International Volcanological School and various research projects in Alaska and Kamchatka. Current research topics include (1) magma system response to edifice collapse - Bezymianny case study, (2) Pre-eruptive conditions of the 2008 Kasatochi magma, (3) Petrology of the 2009 Sarychev Peak eruption, and (4) Compositional stratigraphy of plagioclases at Augustine volcano.

Jessica Faust Larsen
Dr. Jessica Faust Larsen  Associate Professor of Volcanology Dept. of Geology and Geophysics and Geophysical Institute

 Ph.D., 1996, M.S., 1993, B.A., 1991 University of California, Santa Cruz
Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks
903 Koyukuk Drive, P.O. Box 757320, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7320

Phone:  907-474-7992     Fax:  907-474-5163
E-mail: jflarsen [at] alaska [dot] edu

Website: https://sites.google.com/a/alaska.edu/jessica-f-larsen/

Larsen is a Research Associate Professor with the Geophysical Institute. Jessica's graduate (UCSC) and post-graduate (CalTech and UAF) work has focused on experimental mineral physics applied to understanding water storage in the mantle, the fate of subducting oceanic crust and lithosphere, formation of the Earth’s atmosphere through shock loading experiments on mixtures of iron and serpentine. Since arriving at UAF in 1997, Jessica’s work has focused on applying igneous petrology to understanding active volcanism, through field-based and laboratory studies of Aleutian arc and other magmatic systems. Jessica oversees the UAF Experimental Petrology Lab,  and works with the Alaska Volcano Observatory to map and constrain eruptive histories of active Aleutian arc volcanoes. Major research themes include:

• Experimental determination of vesiculation processes in silicate melts. This project involves constraining bubble nucleation rates and mechanisms, coalescence rates, conditions of equilibrium vs. disequilibrium degassing, and the development of bubble/vesicle size distributions. (NSF)
• Crystallization kinetics and phase equilibria studies of Aleutian basaltic-andesites and phonolite and tephriphonolite magmas from the 79 AD eruption of Vesuvius (with Lucia Gurioli or U. Hawaii; NSF).
• Okmok volcano geology. Field-group leader for AVO effort. Focus: Stratigraphy, petrology, and geochemistry of the Holocene caldera-forming eruptions, updating the geologic map (with Tina Neal, Janet Schaefer, Chris Nye, and Jim Beget). (AVO)
• Western Aleutians geological studies. Project chief for the AVO mapping and hazards report mission. Field work conducted on Semisopochnoi and Little Sitkin volcanoes September 2005.  Supported by ship-based helicopter. Focus: geologic maps, eruptive histories, and hazards assessment (with Tina Neal and Michelle Coombs). (AVO).

Paul Layer
Dr. Paul Layer  Professor of Geophysics, Geophysical Institute and Department of Geology and Geophysics
Interim Dean, College of Natural Science and Mathematics University of Alaska Fairbanks

1981 B.S. Geology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich.
1984 M.S. Geophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, California
1986 Ph.D. Geophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, California
College of Natural Science and Mathematics
358 Reichardt Building, 900 Yukon Drive
P.O. Box 755940
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, AK 99775-5940

Phone:  907-474-5514    
E-mail: pwlayer [at] alaska [dot] edu [Home Page]

Paul currently wears many hats. First, he is a researcher as director of the Geophysical Institute Geochronology Laboratory. His research focuses on use of the 40Ar/39Ar dating technique to investigate geological and geophysical problems in Alaska and elsewhere. Applications include determining the age of plutonism and tectonic events such as the uplift of the Alaska Range, dating of volcanoes in Alaska and elsewhere, and constraining the time of formation of mineral deposits. Paul enjoys collaborating with geoscientists from around the world on projects where argon geochronology can offer new insights and constraints to their research. He is currently involved in a major international collaborative project with Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in Mexico City (UNAM) looking at volcanism in Mexico. The project members are looking at several different aspects of Mexican volcanism including: (i) argon as a tracer of magmatic processes at El Chichón volcano, (ii) volcanic hazards in the Mexico City area, (iii) the ages and evolution of large monogenetic volcanic fields, and (iv) geothermal resources associated with volcanism at Los Azufres volcanic field and at El Chichón.

Paul is also a Professor of Geophysics in the Department of Geology and Geophysics and supervise graduate and undergraduate students and teach classes on introductory geology, graduate geochronology and the use of statistical methods in the geosciences.

As of February 2009, Dr. Layer is the Interim Dean of the College of Natural Science and Mathematics, supervising over 100 faculty in 7 academic departments. He believes that the best thing about his job is that he gets to read all M.S. and Ph.D. theses from a wide variety of disciplines and learn about all of the exciting cutting-edge research we do in mathematics and the physical and life sciences. 

Steve McNutt
Dr. Steve McNutt  UAF Volcanology Research Group Leader
Research Professor, Volcano Seismology Alaska Volcano Observatory, UAF/GI

Ph.D., 1985 Columbia University
1984, M. Phil., M.S., 1982 Columbia University
B.A., 1977 Wesleyan University
Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks
903 Koyukuk Drive, P.O. Box 757320, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7320

Phone:  907-474-7131     Fax:  907-474-5618
E-mail: steve [at] giseis [dot] alaska [dot] edu [Home Page]

Dr. McNutt's primary research focus is in the field of volcano seismology. Current research topics include studies of source and propagation effects for volcanic tremor, low-frequency volcanic earthquakes, and explosion earthquakes at Kilauea, Spurr and Arenal volcanoes; volcanic hazards assessments in Alaska and Central America; the mechanical behavior of volcanoes including periodicity of eruptions, and the effects of earth tides, sea level variations, and tectonic stresses on eruptive activity; volcanic lightning; and development of new air-deployable seismometers for use in otherwise inaccessible areas. Student Opportunities: Students are involved in all phases of study and monitoring of Alaska's volcanoes.

Chris Nye
Dr. Chris Nye  Research Assistant Professor of Geology Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys

Ph.D., 1983 University of California, Santa Cruz
1978, M.S.; B.S., 1976, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks
903 Koyukuk Drive, P.O. Box 757320, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7320

Phone:  907-474-7430     Fax:  907-474-5618
E-mail: cnye [at] giseis [dot] alaska [dot] edu

Dr. Nye focuses on the geochemistry, petrology and geology of convergent margin volcanoes, most notable those in Alaska. Applications include the petrogenesis of volcanic rocks, recycling of crustal material in subduction zones, and description of temporal variations in magmatic plumbing systems that produce geothermal reservoirs. Chris manages the participation within AVO of the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys. Duties include operational, managerial, and programmatic tasks, and studies of active volcanism and volcanic deposits. Research focuses on the geochemistry, petrology and geology of convergent margin volcanoes, with special emphasis on detailed trace-element geochemical studies of individual volcanoes in an attempt to understand temporal variations in their magmatic plumbing systems. Additional interests involve more topical research into the petrogenesis of volcanic rocks and contamination of Aleutian lavas by the upper crust.

Peter Webley
Dr. Peter Webley  Assistant Research Professor, volcanic ash clouds and remote sensing University of Alaska Fairbanks, UAF/GI

Ph.D., 2003 ESSC, University of Reading, UK
M.S., 1998, University of East Anglia, UK
B.S., 1997 University of East Anglia, UK
Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks
903 Koyukuk Drive, P.O. Box 757320, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7320

Phone:  907-474-1542     Fax:  907-474-5618
E-mail: pwebley [at] alaska [dot] edu [Home Page]

Peter is responsible for the Puff volcanic ash dispersion and transport model, http://puff.images.alaska.edu. This model is used by the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), Anchorage and Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers (VAAC) for tracking volcanic ash clouds during a volcanic eruption. Over the past 2 years, he has been solely responsible for the Puff model developments and is the main contact for the Puff model, relating to its operational predictions and I maintain the online web-based version, so that it can be used during a volcanic crisis. Peter is also a member of the AVO remote sensing team and once every several weeks, he is the Duty Remote Sensor. He has extensive skills in the analysis of satellite data for thermal activity and using the reverse absorption technique for detecting and tracking of ash clouds.

Recently, Peter has developed automated predictions from the Puff model for volcanic ash eruption clouds from active volcanoes. He has setup the model to produce predictions for eruption clouds at numerous volcanoes, from initial plume heights of 4 – 20 km. Under a volcanic crisis, these predictions allow the decision making authorities at the National Weather Service and AVO to provide a quick assessment of the ash clouds future location. Then a volcanic ash advisory and SIGMET can be released. The installation of these automated predictions is a result of my correspondence between the Anchorage VAAC and Anchorage Aviation Weather Unit (AAWU). Peter has also developed links with the Darwin VAAC and scientists in Italy and Ecuador to produce automated predictions for other volcanoes outside the North Pacific region. All of these predictions can be found on the Puff website.

Michael West
Dr. Michael West 
Research Assistant Professor, earthquake and volcano seismology University of Alaska Fairbanks, UAF/GI

Ph.D., 2001 Columbia University
 1998, M.S., Columbia University
B.A., 1993 Colorado College.
Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks
903 Koyukuk Drive, P.O. Box 757320, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7320

Phone:  907-474-6977     Fax:  907-474-5618
E-mail: mewest [at] alaska [dot] edu [Home Page]

West focuses on the processes that cause earthquake swarms and techniques to infer the structure of the shallow Earth from seismicity. Much of his research is applied to exotic seismic sources such as those generated by volcanoes and glaciers. His work seeks to explain volcanic processes and improve eruption forecasting. He is part of the Alaska Volcano Observatory and the Seismology Lab at the Geophysical Institute. Domestic and foreign field projects--in Russia, Bolivia, Mexico and Chile--are the foundation for much of his research. His group specializes in seismic network operations in remote locations. He also works closely with seismic data feeds from across Alaska and the Aleutians. These real time data are used for everything from characterizing large earthquakes, to monitoring volcanoes and glaciers, to tracking geothermal systems. An unusual aspect of West's group is the emphasis on developing emerging research techniques into production-ready tools that are applied in-house to improve earthquake and volcano monitoring systems.