As the new millennium began, whilst many people seemed to worry about the Y2K bug that was sending fear through many industries, an ongoing debate began to gain some traction within geological circles……the dreaded effects and timings of supervolcanic eruptions.  The BBC Horizon documentary exposing Yellowstone as a ticking time bomb of colossal proportions was aired.  Geologists around the world had a growing obsession with researching and documenting potential supervolcanic threats as well as geologically documented ones.  Now, in a world where climate change is a widely accepted fact known to the bulk of the population, this talk will explain the physical volcanism techniques used to highlight the importance of a certain type of supervolcanic eruption and the potential effects upon the environment.

Can you build a snowman after a supervolcanic eruption? We’ll find out! Through this talk Mike Mawby, Head of Geology at the King’s School will offer an insight into some of the largest known volcanic events to have ever occurred and what to do if one happens.

After graduating from the University of Liverpool Mike Mawby worked at Durham University as a researcher.  His research was into understanding large igneous provinces and how they affect climate and the geological record.  After working at Durham he gained his PGCE from Keele University and became the Head of Geology at The King’s School, Canterbury.