Dr. John Stix
I like working on active volcanoes, because they really do represent “geology in action”! Pretty much anything in volcanology interests me. I study the petrology and geochemistry of intermediate and felsic magmas, because they are viscous, volatile-rich, and tend to erupt explosively. I like to use various analytical techniques to analyze rocks and melt inclusions, such as SIMS and FTIR. I am particularly interested in understanding magmatic-hydrothermal processes and forecasting eruptions at arc volcanoes. I also look at volcanic gases, measuring them in the field and in the lab by various techniques. I am actively developing new tools and instruments for use on volcanoes. I also am interested in caldera systems and their enigmatic restless nature. Finally, I also like underwater volcanoes!
I like working on active volcanoes, because they really do represent “geology in action”! Pretty much anything in volcanology interests me. I study the petrology and geochemistry of intermediate and felsic magmas, because they are viscous, volatile-rich, and tend to erupt explosively. I like to use various analytical techniques to analyze rocks and melt inclusions, such as SIMS and FTIR. I am particularly interested in understanding magmatic-hydrothermal processes and forecasting eruptions at arc volcanoes. I also look at volcanic gases, measuring them in the field and in the lab by various techniques. I am actively developing new tools and instruments for use on volcanoes. I also am interested in caldera systems and their enigmatic restless nature. Finally, I also like underwater volcanoes!
Emily Mick (PhD Candidate)
Originally from a small mining town in Northern Ontario I’ve been surrounded by geology my whole life. As a child I collected rocks galore, but it was not until my second year of university that I discovered there was far more to geology than mining and this was something I could pursue as a career. I began my undergraduate degree at the University of Ottawa studying biology but quickly realized my interests lay elsewhere and transferred to the Earth Sciences program. I stumbled upon volcanology by chance when I was offered the opportunity to study hydrothermal alteration at Campi Flegrei and Vulcano in Italy. In 2018 I began my MSc. in volcanology with Dr. Stix studying Turrialba volcano in central Costa Rica. At the time Turrialba was experiencing frequent phreatic eruptions that I found to be due to repeated instances of hydrothermal sealing. Since 2020 I have been working towards the completion of my PhD, continuing to focus on the mechanisms and triggers associated with phreatic eruptions. In particular I am seeking to understand the origin of seemingly juvenile material in phreatic eruptions, the occurrence of deformation during hydrothermal sealing and subsequent eruptions and lastly, the role of complex fracture networks in gas transport. I am now a PhD candidate and 2022 Canada Graduate Scholar.
Originally from a small mining town in Northern Ontario I’ve been surrounded by geology my whole life. As a child I collected rocks galore, but it was not until my second year of university that I discovered there was far more to geology than mining and this was something I could pursue as a career. I began my undergraduate degree at the University of Ottawa studying biology but quickly realized my interests lay elsewhere and transferred to the Earth Sciences program. I stumbled upon volcanology by chance when I was offered the opportunity to study hydrothermal alteration at Campi Flegrei and Vulcano in Italy. In 2018 I began my MSc. in volcanology with Dr. Stix studying Turrialba volcano in central Costa Rica. At the time Turrialba was experiencing frequent phreatic eruptions that I found to be due to repeated instances of hydrothermal sealing. Since 2020 I have been working towards the completion of my PhD, continuing to focus on the mechanisms and triggers associated with phreatic eruptions. In particular I am seeking to understand the origin of seemingly juvenile material in phreatic eruptions, the occurrence of deformation during hydrothermal sealing and subsequent eruptions and lastly, the role of complex fracture networks in gas transport. I am now a PhD candidate and 2022 Canada Graduate Scholar.
Robert Bogue (PhD Candidate)
I took my first geology class in undergrad mostly so that I could understand what my parents, who are both geologists, talked about at the dinner table every night and why they genuinely seemed to enjoy staring at rocks all day. Much to my surprise, I discovered that geology is actually very cool and chose it as my major the next semester. I became interested in volcanoes through my undergrad thesis, which focused on volcanic CO2 emissions from Mammoth Mountain in eastern California. After graduating from Occidental College, I worked as a full-time intern at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory for about a year with Josh Fisher and Florian Schwandner. During this internship I worked on a project which explored the relationship between volcanoes and trees and how we might be able to use each of them to study the other. This idea forms the foundation of my PhD research, which focuses on how volcanic CO2 emissions affect trees growing on volcanoes, and how we can use those effects to understand volcanic activity. Currently, I am studying wood samples from trees in Peru and Costa Rica to try to understand how local volcanic CO2 emissions have varied in the past decades. Volcanic and atmospheric CO2 have different carbon isotope signatures, allowing us to interpret variations in the carbon isotopes of tree rings as variations in volcanic CO2 degassing. Creating records of CO2 degassing at poorly monitored volcanoes can help us assess the hazards posed by a volcano and its likelihood of erupting. This type of study can also shed light on how trees respond to increasing exposure to CO2, which is a crucial ecological question as atmospheric CO2 concentrations continue to rise.
I took my first geology class in undergrad mostly so that I could understand what my parents, who are both geologists, talked about at the dinner table every night and why they genuinely seemed to enjoy staring at rocks all day. Much to my surprise, I discovered that geology is actually very cool and chose it as my major the next semester. I became interested in volcanoes through my undergrad thesis, which focused on volcanic CO2 emissions from Mammoth Mountain in eastern California. After graduating from Occidental College, I worked as a full-time intern at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory for about a year with Josh Fisher and Florian Schwandner. During this internship I worked on a project which explored the relationship between volcanoes and trees and how we might be able to use each of them to study the other. This idea forms the foundation of my PhD research, which focuses on how volcanic CO2 emissions affect trees growing on volcanoes, and how we can use those effects to understand volcanic activity. Currently, I am studying wood samples from trees in Peru and Costa Rica to try to understand how local volcanic CO2 emissions have varied in the past decades. Volcanic and atmospheric CO2 have different carbon isotope signatures, allowing us to interpret variations in the carbon isotopes of tree rings as variations in volcanic CO2 degassing. Creating records of CO2 degassing at poorly monitored volcanoes can help us assess the hazards posed by a volcano and its likelihood of erupting. This type of study can also shed light on how trees respond to increasing exposure to CO2, which is a crucial ecological question as atmospheric CO2 concentrations continue to rise.
Fiona D'Arcy (PhD Candidate)
I’m Fiona - volcanologist in training, science communicator, and enthusiast of all things earth and environment. I hail from Toronto, Ontario where I was lucky to attend the Ontario Science Centre Science School and learned how to share my scientific curiosity with others. My alma maters include the University of Ottawa (BSc Geology 2015), the University of Iceland (exchange semester 2013), McGill University (MSc Volcanology 2018), and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (Field volcanology course abroad 2016). I am currently pursuing a PhD on volcanic gases and wacky isotopes at volcanoes in Costa Rica and Italy. I am a 2019 Vanier Scholar and I’m proud to share my knowledge in both official languages through my current volunteer work at the Canadian Museum of Nature in my adoptive city of Ottawa! Follow me on twitter. My research focuses on how we can interpret changes in volcanic gas chemistry to understand volcanic systems. These gases- like water, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and others- are released from magma and make their way to the surface both during eruptions AND in the quiet weeks/months/years in between activity. I am particularly interested in carbon dioxide, as this is one of the most common yet sensitive components of volcanic gas. In my PhD, I examine the geochemistry of gases, trees, and minerals in order to forecast magmatic changes at highly dynamic volcanoes. I use a variety of instrumentation in the field and in the lab to follow the life cycle of gases from their deep roots in the very minerals grown in a volcano to their far-reaching impact on the surrounding vegetation.
I’m Fiona - volcanologist in training, science communicator, and enthusiast of all things earth and environment. I hail from Toronto, Ontario where I was lucky to attend the Ontario Science Centre Science School and learned how to share my scientific curiosity with others. My alma maters include the University of Ottawa (BSc Geology 2015), the University of Iceland (exchange semester 2013), McGill University (MSc Volcanology 2018), and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (Field volcanology course abroad 2016). I am currently pursuing a PhD on volcanic gases and wacky isotopes at volcanoes in Costa Rica and Italy. I am a 2019 Vanier Scholar and I’m proud to share my knowledge in both official languages through my current volunteer work at the Canadian Museum of Nature in my adoptive city of Ottawa! Follow me on twitter. My research focuses on how we can interpret changes in volcanic gas chemistry to understand volcanic systems. These gases- like water, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and others- are released from magma and make their way to the surface both during eruptions AND in the quiet weeks/months/years in between activity. I am particularly interested in carbon dioxide, as this is one of the most common yet sensitive components of volcanic gas. In my PhD, I examine the geochemistry of gases, trees, and minerals in order to forecast magmatic changes at highly dynamic volcanoes. I use a variety of instrumentation in the field and in the lab to follow the life cycle of gases from their deep roots in the very minerals grown in a volcano to their far-reaching impact on the surrounding vegetation.
Jessica Salas-Navarro (PhD Candidate)
Hi, I'm Jessica Salas Navarro. I am from Paraiso, Costa Rica. I am a chemist by training, and I did my Bachelor's degree and Licenciatura at the Universidad Nacional in Heredia. I got my start in volcanology by washing Giggenbach bottles (and not breaking any) at the Costa Rican volcano observatory OVSICORI and it's been all uphill from there. I am currently a PhD candidate at McGill and a 2022 Vanier Scholar. I absolutely love volcanoes, and my specialty is volcanic gases. For my PhD I am working on a number of instrumental and field-based projects with a focus on Rincon de la Vieja volcano in the province of Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica. My favorite volcanic gases are carbon dioxide and methane. I am working on calculating the total CO2 flux from the volcano, which is very tricky to do! Also I am learning about how methane behaves in magmatic-hydrothermal systems, and I even built a new type of MultiGAS instrument which measures the CO2/CH4 ratio! Vivan los volcanes activos!
Hi, I'm Jessica Salas Navarro. I am from Paraiso, Costa Rica. I am a chemist by training, and I did my Bachelor's degree and Licenciatura at the Universidad Nacional in Heredia. I got my start in volcanology by washing Giggenbach bottles (and not breaking any) at the Costa Rican volcano observatory OVSICORI and it's been all uphill from there. I am currently a PhD candidate at McGill and a 2022 Vanier Scholar. I absolutely love volcanoes, and my specialty is volcanic gases. For my PhD I am working on a number of instrumental and field-based projects with a focus on Rincon de la Vieja volcano in the province of Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica. My favorite volcanic gases are carbon dioxide and methane. I am working on calculating the total CO2 flux from the volcano, which is very tricky to do! Also I am learning about how methane behaves in magmatic-hydrothermal systems, and I even built a new type of MultiGAS instrument which measures the CO2/CH4 ratio! Vivan los volcanes activos!
Gustavo Villarruel (PhD Student)
I am a PhD student, and my research interests lie in the intersection of geological hazards and remote sensing. My PhD research centers on leveraging drone technology to investigate volcanic systems. My approach involves developing and mounting miniaturized sensors into drones to collect a wide array of volcanic data (i.e., gas emissions, thermal infrared imaging, photogrammetry), with the aim of constraining eruption hazards. Before arriving to McGill, I completed my master's degree in Geology in the State University of New York at Binghamton, and my bachelor's degree in Earth Sciences at the National University of Cordoba, Argentina. I have also worked in the construction of the southernmost dam of the world in Patagonia, monitoring the stability of the river valley slopes to prevent potential landslides. Outside of the office, you'll find me swimming, hiking or cooking Argentinian dishes and pastries.
I am a PhD student, and my research interests lie in the intersection of geological hazards and remote sensing. My PhD research centers on leveraging drone technology to investigate volcanic systems. My approach involves developing and mounting miniaturized sensors into drones to collect a wide array of volcanic data (i.e., gas emissions, thermal infrared imaging, photogrammetry), with the aim of constraining eruption hazards. Before arriving to McGill, I completed my master's degree in Geology in the State University of New York at Binghamton, and my bachelor's degree in Earth Sciences at the National University of Cordoba, Argentina. I have also worked in the construction of the southernmost dam of the world in Patagonia, monitoring the stability of the river valley slopes to prevent potential landslides. Outside of the office, you'll find me swimming, hiking or cooking Argentinian dishes and pastries.
Suzanne Mikhail-Lee (PhD Student)
Hi I’m Suzanne! My interest in volcanoes began in middle school when I first learned about the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption, and my fascination only grew when the mountain erupted again in 2004. Though my upbringing in San Francisco and undergraduate studies in the earth sciences primed me for a geology-focused career, I briefly pivoted my focus and worked in public health and cancer clinical research. In 2020, I then earned my master’s degree in epidemiology from Columbia University. Epidemiology alone was no match for my love for volcanoes though, so I’ve returned to the geosciences. I am now a PhD student at McGill where I will focus on monitoring volcanic gases and wildfire emissions, specifically CO2. My intention is to better understand and anticipate these natural hazards and identify potential avenues to mitigate adverse, chronic health impacts. Some fun facts, I enjoy climbing volcanoes, especially in the Cascades, I am fluent in Arabic and Cantonese and lastly, I have a weird but very adorable cat so I’m happy to nerd out about languages and animals too.
Hi I’m Suzanne! My interest in volcanoes began in middle school when I first learned about the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption, and my fascination only grew when the mountain erupted again in 2004. Though my upbringing in San Francisco and undergraduate studies in the earth sciences primed me for a geology-focused career, I briefly pivoted my focus and worked in public health and cancer clinical research. In 2020, I then earned my master’s degree in epidemiology from Columbia University. Epidemiology alone was no match for my love for volcanoes though, so I’ve returned to the geosciences. I am now a PhD student at McGill where I will focus on monitoring volcanic gases and wildfire emissions, specifically CO2. My intention is to better understand and anticipate these natural hazards and identify potential avenues to mitigate adverse, chronic health impacts. Some fun facts, I enjoy climbing volcanoes, especially in the Cascades, I am fluent in Arabic and Cantonese and lastly, I have a weird but very adorable cat so I’m happy to nerd out about languages and animals too.
Tom Richards (MSc. Student)
Born in the rural hamlet of Long Valley, New Jersey, I have always had an appreciation for the natural world. Although, it was not until I stood atop a mountain of cinder in other-worldly Craters of The Moon National Park, that I realized I wanted to study volcanoes. Following this interest, I conducted undergraduate research at Colgate University on the evolution of Galápagos Volcanoes. My research combined trace element, major element, and isotope data from samples collected on various Galápagos Volcanoes to better understand the development of the islands and plume-ridge interactions. During my research process I honed a geochemical skillset that I got to display in my poster presentation at the AGU Fall Meeting 2023, where I met Dr. Stix. After meeting with John and learning about his projects I decided to pursue a MSc with him at McGill University in the fall of 2024. Now I study the halogen geochemistry of highly explosive eruptive systems and investigate their potential environmental impacts and hazardous nature. Outside of the lab I’m probably running, hiking, climbing, or spending time with friends.
Born in the rural hamlet of Long Valley, New Jersey, I have always had an appreciation for the natural world. Although, it was not until I stood atop a mountain of cinder in other-worldly Craters of The Moon National Park, that I realized I wanted to study volcanoes. Following this interest, I conducted undergraduate research at Colgate University on the evolution of Galápagos Volcanoes. My research combined trace element, major element, and isotope data from samples collected on various Galápagos Volcanoes to better understand the development of the islands and plume-ridge interactions. During my research process I honed a geochemical skillset that I got to display in my poster presentation at the AGU Fall Meeting 2023, where I met Dr. Stix. After meeting with John and learning about his projects I decided to pursue a MSc with him at McGill University in the fall of 2024. Now I study the halogen geochemistry of highly explosive eruptive systems and investigate their potential environmental impacts and hazardous nature. Outside of the lab I’m probably running, hiking, climbing, or spending time with friends.
Sam Tessier (MSc. Student)
Hi, I’m Sam. My interest in geology started when I was 7 years old collecting cool looking rocks and minerals. This interest later evolved into a passion when taking my first geology class in my last year of CEGEP. I did a little research project on the effect of volcanoes on global climate as a closure to my CEGEP diploma. This newfound passion for geology led me to do my undergraduate studies at UQAM in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. I had the opportunity to work with Prof. Joshua Davies on my thesis project. During this project I used a magma chamber simulator to simulate the evolution of magma to try and recreate the formation of a set of rock samples from Val d’Or, Quebec. My main field of interest at the time of my graduation was in bedrock and economic geology, which is why I decided to work in mining exploration for a couple of years. Which led me to work in various regions of the province of Quebec and in multiple geological contexts. I am now a MSc student at McGill and my research is about characterizing the hydrothermal alteration in the crater of the Poás volcano in Costa Rica using various methods like hyperspectral imaging and petrology to link the intensity of hydrothermal alteration to the activity of the volcano. When not working I am an avid reader of horror and fantasy, I love cooking and working out.
Hi, I’m Sam. My interest in geology started when I was 7 years old collecting cool looking rocks and minerals. This interest later evolved into a passion when taking my first geology class in my last year of CEGEP. I did a little research project on the effect of volcanoes on global climate as a closure to my CEGEP diploma. This newfound passion for geology led me to do my undergraduate studies at UQAM in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. I had the opportunity to work with Prof. Joshua Davies on my thesis project. During this project I used a magma chamber simulator to simulate the evolution of magma to try and recreate the formation of a set of rock samples from Val d’Or, Quebec. My main field of interest at the time of my graduation was in bedrock and economic geology, which is why I decided to work in mining exploration for a couple of years. Which led me to work in various regions of the province of Quebec and in multiple geological contexts. I am now a MSc student at McGill and my research is about characterizing the hydrothermal alteration in the crater of the Poás volcano in Costa Rica using various methods like hyperspectral imaging and petrology to link the intensity of hydrothermal alteration to the activity of the volcano. When not working I am an avid reader of horror and fantasy, I love cooking and working out.
Justin Roman (MSc. Student)
Hi I’m Justin! I was born in Montréal, Canada, and have a strong passion for environmental and sustainability sciences. In fact, that’s the discipline I’ve decided to pursue for my undergrad at Concordia University! My knowledge and speciality, however, are more specifically in Earth system and climate sciences. I have always had a strong connection with the environment ever since I was young, and that interest has significantly developed as climate change issues become more and more prominent. My research with Professor John Stix, will be to examine permafrost in Northern Canada, more specifically in the Yukon. This research objective is to detect and monitor ground instability and ground movement, both at an early stage and on a regular basis, which can impact highways and roads. Furthermore, the bigger picture is examining permafrost melt on landslides and see if there is a way to predict them through monitoring. Some fun facts about me: I thoroughly enjoy astronomy/space, biology, hiking, and gaming!
Hi I’m Justin! I was born in Montréal, Canada, and have a strong passion for environmental and sustainability sciences. In fact, that’s the discipline I’ve decided to pursue for my undergrad at Concordia University! My knowledge and speciality, however, are more specifically in Earth system and climate sciences. I have always had a strong connection with the environment ever since I was young, and that interest has significantly developed as climate change issues become more and more prominent. My research with Professor John Stix, will be to examine permafrost in Northern Canada, more specifically in the Yukon. This research objective is to detect and monitor ground instability and ground movement, both at an early stage and on a regular basis, which can impact highways and roads. Furthermore, the bigger picture is examining permafrost melt on landslides and see if there is a way to predict them through monitoring. Some fun facts about me: I thoroughly enjoy astronomy/space, biology, hiking, and gaming!
Past Members
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