COMET Co-Director Professor Juliet Biggs (University of Bristol) was recently awarded a ten-year Faraday Discovery Fellowship from the Royal Society. The Royal Society states that the fellowship awards exceptional mid-career academics “using cutting-edge techniques to explore questions at the frontiers of human knowledge”, and recognise the achievements of the country’s leading researchers.
Juliet’s work is titled “MAGMA 4D – Improved resilience to volcanic hazards through satellite-based monitoring and forecasting”, and will focus on building a global satellite volcano observatory by combining next-generation satellite data, artificial intelligence, and physics-based models to improve the way volcanoes are monitored and forecast. With a greater understanding of how the volcanoes work, the research hopes to deliver earlier warnings and provide better projection for the communities at most risk.
Such long-term funding is rare and hugely important to be able to focus on these complicated real-world scenarios, create new and important global networks, and generate huge impact in the field.
We at COMET are thrilled with this success and look forward to seeing the amazing work and opportunities that will come with the project!
The UK Centre for Observation and Modelling of Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Tectonics (COMET) invites you to the next instalment of our COMET online webinar series.
Speaker: Dr Jessica HawthorneUniversity of Oxford, UK
Title of the talk: Towards physics-based earthquake forecasting: simplifying models and automating observations
(After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar)
Abstract: Earthquake forecasts are commonly empirical, based primarily on the past distribution of earthquakes. But sometimes we want to forecast earthquakes in “new” scenarios, for instance during an aseismic slip event or induced seismicity. For these scenarios, we require more physics-based earthquake forecasts. In this presentation, we explore some of the observational, modelling, and practical challenges in developing physics-based earthquake forecasting. We focus on developing a simple modelling framework. The rupture simulations are based on energy balance: ruptures propagate as long as the stress intensity at the tip exceeds a critical threshold. Although this approach does not capture the full details of rupture propagation or more complex physics such as off-fault deformation, it does capture first-order rupture physics and allows many ruptures to be simulated in complex stress fields. To explore earthquake potential across a range of physical environments, we simulate ruptures in stress fields with different mean initial stresses, then perturb those fields. Ruptures nucleate from the point of maximum stress, and we track the frequency, magnitude, and stress drop of the resulting events. Restricting ruptures to one-dimensional geometries allows tens of thousands of simulations in a few hours on a desktop computer. These simulations define a mapping between fault initial conditions and resulting seismicity, which we represent with a neural network. We also explore another challenge in physics-based forecasting: making enough observations to constrain and test such models. We therefore also work on developing tools to observe more features of earthquakes, including their beginnings and their spatial extents. We show how these features can be systematically and quickly measured and how they may be used both to test physical models of earthquake rupture and to improve forecasting.
The UK Centre for Observation and Modelling of Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Tectonics (COMET) invites you to the next instalment of our COMET+ webinar series, viewable from the home office.
Speaker: Dr Muhammad Aufaristama, United Arab Emirates University, UAE
Title of the talk: Dense Time Series Remote Sensing for Geological Hazards
Date: Friday 19th June 2026
Time: 3pm UK time (2pm UTC / 4pm CEST / 7am PDT / 10pm Beijing)
(After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar)
Abstract: Dense satellite time series are changing how geological hazards can be observed, shifting the focus from isolated before–after image comparisons to continuous monitoring of disturbance, timing, and recovery. This talk focuses on landslides as a model geohazard and shows how long optical Earth observation archives can be used to detect where failures occur, when they happen, and how affected terrain recovers afterwards. Building on recent work with Continuous Change Detection and Classification (CCDC) in Google Earth Engine and the LandTrendr temporal segmentation framework, I use Landsat-derived NDVI trajectories, together with topographic constraints where appropriate, to identify disturbance–recovery signatures associated with landslide activity. Examples from globally distributed test sites and regional-scale applications in Indonesia demonstrate that dense time series remote sensing can support scalable inventory generation, historical reconstruction, and semi-automated monitoring across diverse environments. The results also highlight key limitations: performance remains sensitive to cloud cover, rapid revegetation, medium-resolution pixel size, and the detectability of small failures. Overall, the work shows that the main value of dense time series lies not only in mapping surface disturbance, but in capturing its temporal evolution, with potential relevance beyond landslides wherever hazards produce measurable surface change.
COMET Scientists, Professor Tamsin Mather and Professor David Pyle (University of Oxford) have teamed up with illustrator Daniel Long and publishers Nosy Crow to produce the book ‘Think Big: The Power of Volcanoes’, aimed at 7- to 11-year-olds.
Tamsin said ‘I have always wanted to write a book about volcanoes for younger readers as I think they are such an exciting way to explore thinking more deeply about our and other planets. I think that the best science books for this age group are all about combining words and pictures to tell a scientific story. Daniel’s illustrations are utterly beautiful, capture the science and are really fun to look at too. I love the way he has drawn from old pictures of eruptions as well as lots and lots recent photos of volcanoes. It was fantastic to watch him develop his illustrations around our words!’
David said ‘This was a very rewarding project – starting with the challenge of distilling our technical understanding of “how volcanoes work” into precise but accessible language for the readers. The visuals really make the book come to life. I particularly like Daniel’s images of different rocks in hand-specimen!’
The book published today will be launched with a morning of talks and activities at Oxford’s Natural History Museum this coming Saturday 6th June 2026.
We’re excited to share an 8‑week paid summer industry internship with COMET and Lighthill Risk Network | MS Amlin, open to 2nd–4th year undergraduates with the Right to Work in the UK.
Research project: Investigating how depth uncertainty propagates through probabilistic seismic hazard models
Supervisors: Dr Alice Turner and Professor Alex Copley (University of Cambridge) & Dr Will Sturgeon and Dr Luke Wedmore (MS Amlin)
Global earthquake catalogues are automatically-generated, and are known to poorly constrain earthquake depths. Recent results (e.g., Wimpenny and Watson, 2021) have shown that where more accurate techniques are used, involving human input, much more accurate depth estimates can be obtained, and these often differ by more than 10 km from those in the catalogues. This difference has huge implications when assessing earthquake hazard, because of the extreme sensitivity of ground-shaking to the depth of the causative earthquakes. Hazard assessments are often undertaken using Ground Motion Prediction Equations (GMPEs), using poorly-constrained catalogue depths as input constraints for the likely depths of future events.
This project will assess the effects of using accurately-constrained earthquake depths on the assessment of earthquake hazard. It will focus on the North Anatolian Fault Zone in Turkey, which hosts large, damaging earthquakes in close proximity to major population centres.. Over the 8 weeks of the placement, the student will determine accurate depths of earthquakes in the region (data collection). They will then estimate earthquake hazard metrics from both the accurately-determined depths, and the previously-used poorly constrained catalogue depths, and thereby establish how earthquake depth accuracy influences hazard assessment.
How to Apply:
Eligibility: To be eligible for this scheme you must: (1) be a current 2nd-4th year undergraduate student with no prior research internship experience, and (2) hold the right to work in the UK. Earth Sciences is the least diverse STEM subject, and therefore we strongly encourage applicants from minority backgrounds and those who are the first generation in their families to have attended University.
Salary: Interns will be paid at the Real Living Wage at the host institution (£470 pw, 35 hours per week) with pro-rata holiday allowance and a small expense budget to facilitate industry collaboration.
The UK Centre for Observation and Modelling of Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Tectonics (COMET) invites you to the next instalment of our COMET webinar series, viewable from the home office.
We are pleased to welcome Professor John Elliott, a COMET Scientist from the University of Leeds, as our speaker.
Title of the talk: Deformation, strains and velocities for the Alpine Himalayan Belt from trans-continental Sentinel-1 InSAR & GNSS
Date: Thursday 21st May 2026
Time: 3pm UK time (2pm UTC / 4pm CEST / 7am PDT / 10pm Beijing)
Professor Wadge (left) receiving the Murchison Medal in 2015
We are saddened to share the news that Professor Geoff Wadge has passed away.
A world-renowned volcanologist, Geoff was best known for his work on Montserrat, including his 1987 work anticipating the hazards of a future eruption of Soufriere Hills. In 2015, Geoff was awarded the Geological Society’s Murchison Medal for significant contributions to geology and remote sensing.
As a chair for the advisory panel for the first phase of COMET (2002 – 2008), Geoff was instrumental in shaping what our centre is today. It was in fact Geoff who recommended that volcanoes should be included in the COMET portfolio. He remained a COMET scientist from 2008 until his retirement.
All of us at COMET extend our sympathies to those close to Geoff, and are grateful for all of the incredible research and knowledge he shared throughout his career.
The University of Manchester is looking for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in numerical modelling of volcanic conduit flow.
The post is part of the ‘Expecting the Unexpected: Understanding “Dangerous” Volcanic Transitions (Ex‑X)’ project funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).
The PDRA will be based in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Manchester. They will work under the joint supervision of Prof Mike Burton and Dr Chris Johnson at Manchester, and Dr Giuseppe La Spina (INGV Catania, Italy).
The PDRA will collaborate with the wider Ex-X project team, led by Prof Jenni Barclay. They will work with Prof Jeremy Philipps and Dr Mark Woodhouse (University of Bristol) on coupled conduit-plume modelling, with Dr Jessica Johnson and Dr Richard Herd (University of East Anglia) on integration with geophysics, with Prof Pyle (University of Oxford) on integration with petrology and Prof Paul Cole (University of Plymouth) on ground-truthing with volcanological deposits. Ex-X will work closely with Volcano Observatory partners in the Caribbean.
The purpose of the role is to develop, implement, test and validate time‑dependent conduit flow models to investigate the physical drivers of rapid eruptive transitions under varying pressure, temperature, volatile and crystallisation conditions. The PDRA will couple these models with time-dependent magma-reservoir and eruption-column models and compare the results with field data from explosive eruptions in the Caribbean.
We are delighted to celebrate the promotion of COMET Scientist Susanna Ebmeier (University of Leeds) to the position of Professor of Volcano Remote Sensing.
Susanna Ebmeier has built an outstanding reputation for her expertise in volcano research using satellite-based remote sensing. Her work has focused on understanding how satellite imagery can be used for volcano monitoring and volcanic hazard assessment. This has provided crucial insights that support communities affected by volcanic activity.
In addition to her scientific achievements, Susanna Ebmeier is recognised for fostering a collaborative, inclusive and supportive research culture within the School of Earth and Environment. She is highly regarded for her dedication to supervising and mentoring postgraduate researchers.
We extend our warmest congratulations to Professor Ebmeier on this well-deserved achievement and wish her every success in the future.
In June 2025, the UK Centre for Observation and Modelling of Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Tectonics (COMET) welcomed a delegation from the Institute of Geology at the China Earthquake Administration (CEA) to formalise two decades of collaboration through a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
Building on Twenty Years of Partnership
The delegation visited both the University of Bristol and the University of Leeds (COMET’s co-lead institutions), where CEA members shared their research and future visions while learning about COMET’s work and strategic plans.
This partnership has already shown remarkable results, with at least 60 co-authored papers published over the years and numerous joint research projects that have advanced understanding of seismic and volcanic hazards. Following on from a productive high-level visit from the CEA last year, the new MoU will significantly strengthen these ties, offering new opportunities to reduce the social and economic impact of seismic or volcanic events and build global resilience to natural hazards.
Co-Authored Earthquake Science Picture Book with the CEA, Oxford & Cambridge
Advancing Global Safety Through Science
By deepening this collaboration, both organisations aim to advance current understandings of earthquakes and volcanoes, with the ultimate aim of enhancing protection for citizens, not just from the UK and in China, but across the globe. The partnership represents a clear example of how international scientific cooperation can address challenges that transcend national borders.
A Vision for the Future
Looking ahead, the CEA and COMET will explore the possibility of co-founding a major international science programme focused on frontier research in earthquake and volcano science. This ambitious initiative would unite organisations, scientists, data, and funding from both nations, fostering open collaboration and knowledge sharing while establishing robust frameworks for seismic and volcanic data exchange to enhance monitoring and analysis.
COMET and the CEA presentations, June 2025
The partnership will explore several collaborative opportunities, including:
Academic Exchange and Development
Student and faculty exchanges to share ideas and expertise,
Joint PhD supervision programmes, linking UK and Chinese institutions,
Shared research initiatives with combined funding support.
Fieldwork and Innovation
Conducting joint field studies and expeditions to active seismic and volcanic regions,
Development of a pioneering ‘Joint International Research Laboratory of Earthquake and Volcano Sciences’.
Visit to the University of Bristol as part of the delegation visit: Professor Shan Xinjian (Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration) and Dr Sam Wimpenny (COMET, University of Bristol)
The Bigger Picture
This collaboration exemplifies COMET’s commitment to international partnership and diplomatic engagement through science.
By developing sustained, long-term relationships with key global partners, COMET demonstrates how scientific cooperation can serve as a bridge between nations, creating mutually beneficial knowledge exchange that ultimately serves humanity’s common interests in understanding and preparing for natural hazards.
Ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Understanding: Professor Shan Xinjian (Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration) and Professor Tim Wright (COMET, University of Leeds)
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