• Question: If you want to be a volcanologist but you don’t have a volcano near where can you get education from

    Asked by anon-273557 to Kate on 9 Dec 2020.
    • Photo: Kate Dobson

      Kate Dobson answered on 9 Dec 2020:


      To be an Earth Scientist (or Geologist) that studies volcanos you need to study one of the geological subjects at university…. so Earth Sciences, Geosciences, or maybe Environmental Science or Planetary Science. I did Maths, Physics and Chemistry A-Levels (you don’t need geology or geography A-level, and I think the physics and chemistry were really useful). You would probably then go on to do a PhD to specialise in volcanology. Many UK universities have these degrees on offer. Most will take you on field trips (UK and overseas) to visit key examples of the rocks you study as part of your degree.

      We may not have an active volcano in the UK, but we have ancient volcanoes that helped us develop the subject (parts of the Lake District, Glen Coe, the islands of Skye and Mull are just some) and let us look deep into the heart of former volcanoes, and there are several active volcanoes of different types in Europe, so it’s not difficult to see things in the field.

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