Dr. Thomas Christopher

Volcanologist

CONTACT

Email:

thomas@mvo.ms

Telephone:

1-664-491-5647

 

 

 

QUALIFICATIONS

Bsc Geology, UWI Mona – 2000

PhD Igneous Petrology and Geochemistry (Title – Magma studies at Mt Etna)

Cambridge (St Catharines)  – 2010, Research Fellow (MVO)

BIO

Dr. Thomas Christopher is a Degassing Volcanologist/Petrologist at MVO. His research is targeted at tying in volcanic degassing, petrology and geochemistry of volcanic systems in order to unlock the dynamics, processes that occur in the plumbing systems of volcanoes as well as the time scales over which these processes occur.

Dr Christopher did an undergraduate degree in geology at UWI mona from 1997-2000 after which he came back here and worked at the MVO as a scientific assistant. He then went to the UK to do a PhD in Earth Sciences at St Catharines College, University of Cambridge.

His PhD project was on the 2001 eruption of Mt Etna where two distinct lavas were erupted from multiple vents. One lava type was clearly associated with the central conduit system while the other was emplaced via an eccentric dyke.

The aim of his PhD was to employ Petrology, Geochemistry and Volcanology to unlock if there were two separate contemporaneous eruptions or one eruption triggering the other.

RESPONSIBILITIES 

  • Obtaining SO2 flux values via the DOAS technique using spectra collected with UV spectrometers
  • Measuring SO2:HCL ratios using FTIR on spectra collected with an infrared spectrometer
  • Measuring the concentrations of SO2, H2S, CO2 and H2O with a MultiGAS instrument pack
  • Working on the bulk rock geochemistry and petrology of the volcanic product

REFEREED PUBLICATIONS

(a) Journal Manuscripts
Camejo‐Harry, M; Melekhova,E; Blundy, J; Attridge, W; Robertson, R E.A; Christopher, T.E. (2018): Magma evolution beneath Bequia, Lesser Antilles, deduced
from petrology of lavas and plutonic xenoliths. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, Vol. 173, 77, 10.2018. Impact Factor: 3.626

Plail, M; Edmonds, M; Woods’ A.W.; Barclay, J.; Humphreys, M.C.S Herd, H.; Christopher T.E. (2018): Mafic enclaves record syn‐eruptive basalt intrusion and mixing. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Volume 484, pages 30‐40. Impact Factor: 4.581, 3 Citations.

Hayer, C.S.; Wadge G; Edmonds, M; Christopher T.E. (2016): Sensitivity of OMI SO2 1 measurements to variable eruptive behaviour at Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, Volume 312, pages 1‐10. Impact Factor: 2.368, 6 Citations.

Christopher, T.E; Blundy, J, Cashman, K, Cole, P; Edmonds, M; Smith, P.J, Sparks, R.S.J and Stinton, A. (2015):Crustal‐scale degassing due to magma system destabilization and magma‐gas decoupling at Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, published on 30 August 2015 doi:10.1002/2015GC005791. Impact Factor: 2.981, 43 Citations.

Hautmann, S; Witham, F; Christopher, T.E; Cole, P; Linde, A.T; Sacks, S and Sparks, R.S.J (2014) Strain field analysis on Montserrat (W.I.) as tool for assessing permeable flow paths in the magmatic system of Soufrière Hills Volcan. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, Volume 15, Issue 3, pages 676–690. Impact Factor: 2.981, 19 Citations.

Humphreys, M.C.S; Edmonds, M; Plail, M; Barclay, J; Parkes, D; Christopher, T.E (2013). A new method to quantify the real supply of mafic components to a hybrid andesite. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 165, 191‐215. Impact Factor: 3.626, 17 Citations.

Nicholson, E.J; Mather, T.A; Pyle, D.M; Odbert, H.M; Christopher, T.E (2013). Cyclical patterns in volcanic degassing revealed by SO2 flux timeseries analysis: An application to Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 375, 209‐221. Impact Factor: 4.581, 22 Citiations.

Trofimovs, J; Foster, C; Sparks, RSJ; Loughlin, S; Le Friant, A; Deplus, C; Porritt, L; Christopher, T.E; Luckett, R; Talling, PJ; Palmer, MR; Le Bas, T (2011): Submarine pyroclastic deposits formed during the 20th May 2006 dome collapse of the Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat. Bulletin of Volcanology. DOI 10.1007/s00445‐ 011‐0533‐5. Impact Factor: 2.423, 29 Citations.

Christopher, T.E; Edmonds, M; Humphreys, MCS; Herd, RA (2010): Volcanic gas emissions from Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat 1995‐2009, with implications for mafic magma supply and degassing. Geophysical Research Letters, 37 Art No. L00E04, ISSN 0094‐8276, DOI 10.1029/2009GL041325. Impact Factor: 4.339, 58

CITATIONS

Barclay, J; Herd, RA; Edwards, BR; Christopher, T.E; Kiddle, EJ; Plail, M; Donovan, A (2010): Caught in the act: Implications for the increasing abundance of mafic enclaves during the recent eruptive episodes of the Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat. Geophysical Research Letters, 37 Art No. L00E09, ISSN 0094‐8276, DOI 10.1029/2010GL042509. Impact Factor: 4.339, 16 Citations.

Edmonds, M; Aiuppa, A; Humphreys, M; Moretti, R; Giudice, G; Martin, RS; Herd, RA; Christopher, T.E (2010): Excess volatiles supplied by mingling of mafic magma at an andesite arc volcano. Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems 11 Art No. Q04005, ISSN 1525‐2027, DOI 10.1029/2009GC002781. Impact Factor: 2.981, 68 Citations.

Humphreys, MCS; Edmonds, M; Christopher, T.E; Hards, V (2010): Magma hybridisation and diffusive exchange recorded in heterogeneous glasses from Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat. Geophysical Research Letters 37 Art No. L00E06, ISSN 0094‐8276, DOI 10.1029/2009GL041926. Impact Factor: 4.339, 38