Dr. Adam Stinton

Volcanologist

CONTACT

Email:

adam@mvo.ms

Telephone:

1-664-491-5647

QUALIFICATIONS

BIO

As a Volcanologist at MVO, Dr. Adam Stinton is responsible for monitoring and mapping of activity and deposits generated by the Soufriere Hills volcano. This involves surveying the active lava dome in order to monitor changes in volume and rates of extrusion; mapping the deposits from dome collapse and explosive events, and the maintenance and development of the dome volume monitoring programme.

He employs traditional fieldwork techniques along with GPS, GIS, and structure-from-motion photogrammetry using aerial and satellite imagery. Dr. Stinton also uses thermal imaging for monitoring lava dome evolution and high temperature fumaroles.

Dr. Stinton’s research focuses on the geomorphic consequences of explosive volcanism, investigating how topographic changes around volcanoes influence the dynamics of pyroclastic flows and lahars. Current research projects include understanding the behaviour and impact of pyroclastic density currents in channelised settings and urban environments; seasonal variation in rockfall activity on active lava domes; and the volcanic history of Montserrat from submarine and terrestrial deposits. Monitoring projects include the development of a system for routine aerial photogrammetry; routine temperature logging of fumaroles; and a low powered remote camera for visual observation of volcanic activity.

RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Physical Volcanology
• Geologic mapping
• Volcanic Hazards
• Volcano monitoring

PUBLICATIONS 

Cole, P.D., Barclay, J., Robertson, R.E.A., Mitchell, S., Davies, B.V., Constantinescu, R., Sparks, R.S.J., Aspinall, W., Stinton, A., 2024. Explosive sequence of La Soufrière, St Vincent, April 2021: insights into drivers and consequences via eruptive products. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 539, 81–106. https://doi.org/10.1144/SP539-2022-292

Stinton, A.J., 2024. Growth and evolution of the lava dome and coulée during the 2020–21 eruption of La Soufrière, St Vincent. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 539, 25–39. https://doi.org/10.1144/SP539-2022-304

Stinton, A., Sparks, R.S.J., Huppert, H.E., 2024. Analysis of magma rheology from lava spreading and explosive activity during the 2020–21 eruption of La Soufrière, St Vincent, with implications for eruption dynamics. SP 539, SP539-2022–284. https://doi.org/10.1144/SP539-2022-284

Dualeh, E.W., Ebmeier, S.K., Wright, T.J., Poland, M.P., Grandin, R., Stinton, A.J., Camejo-Harry, M., 2023. Rapid Pre-explosion Increase in Dome Extrusion Rate at La Soufrière, St. Vincent Quantified from Synthetic Aperture Radar Backscatter. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 603, 11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117980

Joseph, E.P., Camejo-Harry, M., Christopher, T., Contreras-Arratia, R., Edwards, S., Graham, O., Johnson, M., Juman, A., Latchman, J.L., Lynch, L., Miller, V.L., Papadopoulos, I., Pascal, K., Robertson, R., Ryan, G.A., Stinton, A., Grandin, R., Hamling, I., Jo, M.-J., Barclay, J., Cole, P., Davies, B.V., Sparks, R.S.J., 2022. Responding to eruptive transitions during the 2020–2021 eruption of La Soufrière volcano, St. Vincent. Nat Commun 13, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31901-4

Tucker, M.E., Carey, S.N., Sparks, R.S.J., Stinton, A., Leng, M., Robinson, L., Li, T., Lewis, J., Cotton, L., 2020. Carbonate crusts around volcanic islands: Composition, origin and their significance in slope stability. Marine Geology 429, 106320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2020.106320

Carey, S., Sparks, R.S.J., Tucker, M., Tao, L., Robinson, L., Watt, S., Gee, M., Hastie, A., Stinton, A., Leng, M., Raineault, N., Ballard, R., 2020. The polygenetic Kahouanne Seamounts in the Northern Lesser Antilles Island Arc: Evidence for large-scale volcanic island subsidence, Marine Geology, Sept. 2019.

Harnett, C.E., Kendrick, J.E., Lamur, A., Thomas, M.E., Stinton, A., Wallace, P.A., Utley, J.E.P., Murphy, W., Neuberg, J., Lavallée, Y., 2019. Evolution of Mechanical Properties of Lava Dome Rocks across the 1995–2010 Eruption of Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat. Frontiers in Earth Science 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2019.00007

Burns, F.A., Bonadonna, C., Pioli, L., Cole, P.D., Stinton, A., Ash aggregation during the 11 February 2010 partial dome collapse of the Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat, J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 335, 92-112

Coussens, M., Wall-Palmer, D., Talling, P., Watt, S., Cassidy, M., Jutzeler, M., Clare, M., Hunt, J., Manga, M., Gernon, T., Palmer, M., Hatter, S., Boudon, G., Endo, D., Fujinawa, A., Hatfield, R., Hornbach, M., Ishizuka, O., Kataoka, K., Le Friant, A., Maeno, F., McCanta, M., Stinton, A., 2016. The relationship between eruptive activity, flank collapse and sea-level at volcanic islands: a long-term (>1 Ma) record offshore Montserrat, Lesser Antilles. Geochemistry, Geophys. Geosystems.

Le Friant, A., Ishizuka, O., Boudon, G., Palmer, M.R., Talling, P.J., Villemant, B., Adachi, T., Aljahdali, M., Breitkreuz, C., Brunet, M., Caron, B., Coussens, M., Deplus, C., Endo, D., Feuillet, N., Fraas, A.J., Fujinawa, A., Hart, M.B., Hatfield, R.G., Hornbach, M., Jutzeler, M., Kataoka, K.S., Komorowski, J.-C., Lebas, E., Lafuerza, S., Maeno, F., Manga, M., Martínez-Colón, M., McCanta, M., Morgan, S., Saito, T., Slagle, A., Sparks, S., Stinton, A., Stroncik, N., Subramanyam, K.S. V., Tamura, Y., Trofimovs, J., Voight, B., Wall-Palmer, D., Wang, F., Watt, S.F.L., 2015. Submarine record of volcanic island construction and collapse in the Lesser Antilles arc: First scientific drilling of submarine volcanic island landslides by IODPExpedition 340. Geochemistry, Geophys. Geosystems. doi:10.1002/2014GC005652

Watt, S.F.L., Jutzeler, M., Talling, P.J., Carey, S.N., Sparks, R.S.J., Tucker, M., Stinton, A.J., Fisher, J.K., Wall-Palmer, D., Hühnerbach, V., Moreton, S.G., 2015. New insights into landslide processes around volcanic islands from Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) observations offshore Montserrat. Geochemistry, Geophys. Geosystems 16, 2240–2261. doi:10.1002/2015GC005781

Christopher, T.E., Blundy, J., Cashman, K., Cole, P., Edmonds, M., Smith, P.J., Sparks, R.S.J., Stinton, A., 2015. Crustal-scale degassing due to magma system destabilization and magma-gas decoupling at Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat. Geochemistry, Geophys. Geosystems 16, 2797–2811. doi:10.1002/2015GC005791

Cole, P., Stinton, A., Odbert, H., Bonadonna, C., Stewart, R., 2015. An inclined Vulcanian explosion and associated products. J. Geol. Soc. London. 172, 287–293. doi:10.1144/jgs2014-099

Carey, S., Bell, K.L.C., Sparks, S., and 12 others, 2014, Impact of Volcanic Eruptions on the Seafloor Around Montserrat, West Indies, in Bell, K.L.C., M.L. Brennan, and N.A. Raineault, eds. 2014. New frontiers in ocean exploration: The E/V Nautilus 2013 Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean field season. Oceanography 27(1), supplement, 52 pp, http://dx.doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2014.supplement.01.

Cassidy, M., Watt, S.F.L., Palmer, M.R., Trofimovs, J., Symons, W., Maclachlan, S.E., Stinton, A.J. 2014, Construction of volcanic records from marine sediment cores: A review and case study (Montserrat, West Indies). Earth-Science Reviews. 138, 137–155. doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2014.08.008

Cole, P., Smith, P., Komorowski, J.-C., Alfano, F., Bonadonna, C., Stinton, A.J., Christopher, T., Odbert, H., and Loughlin, S. 2014, Ash venting occurring both prior to and during lava extrusion at Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat, from 2005 to 2010. In Wadge, G., Voight, B., and Robertson, R., (eds) The Eruption of Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat from 2000 to 2010, Geological Society, London, Memoirs 39, pp71-92

Cole, P., Smith, P., Odbert, H., Stinton, A.J., Stewart, R., Bernstein, M., and Komorowski, J.-C., 2014, Vulcanian Explosions at Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat between 2008 and 2010. In Wadge, G., Voight, B., and Robertson, R., (eds) The Eruption of Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat from 2000 to 2010, Geological Society, London, Memoirs 39, pp 93-111

Stinton, A.J., Cole, P.D., Odbert, H.M, Christopher, T., Avard, G., & Bernstien, M., 2014, Dome growth and evolution during Phase 5 at the Soufrière Hills Volcano: 9 October 2009 – 11 February 2010. In Wadge, G., Voight, B., and Robertson, R., (eds) The Eruption of Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat from 2000 to 2010, Geological Society, London, Memoirs 39, pp113-131

Stinton, A.J., Cole, P.D., Stewart, R., Odbert, H.M, and Smith, P.J., 2014, The 11 February 2010 partial dome collapse at Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat. In Wadge, G., Voight, B., and Robertson, R., (eds) The Eruption of Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat from 2000 to 2010, Geological Society, London, Memoirs 39, pp133-152

TECHNICAL REPORTS

Stinton, A.J., 2016. Summary of Preliminary Investigations into the Sinkhole in North West Bluff, Northern Montserrat, MVO Open File Report 16-01, 18p. Doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.1641.5604

Stinton, A.J., 2015. A new Digital Elevation Model of the Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat, MVO Open File Report. 15-01, 18pp. Doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.2952.2809.

• adam@mvo.ms
• 1-664-491-5647