Physical Volcanology
My MSc thesis focussed on reconstructing the emplacement of the Nesjahraun lava flow, Þingvellir, Iceland using remotely sensed data. This work helped to advance our knowledge of the dynamics of high effusion-rate lava flow fields.
I also participated in a five-week research cruise on board RRS Discovery (D350 and D351 in 2010) during the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in 2010. This cruise led to important results about how the ash was distributed over Europe.
As part of my PhD thesis I conducted fieldwork on Montserrat to interpret the on land and submarine deposits of basaltic volcano on Montserrat. I am also involved with determining the record of explosive pumice-bearing eruptions from the Centre Hills on Montserrat with PhD student Maya Coussens.
I have an interest in the physical processes involved in Vulcanian eruptions having spent a 7 month post-doc based on the activity of Volcan de Colima, Mexico in association with Paul Cole at Plymouth University.
Publications:
Cassidy, M., Cole, P.D., Hicks, K.E., Varley, N.R., Peters, N., Lerner, A. ‘Rapid and slow: Varying ascent rates as a mechanism for Vulcanian explosions’ Earth and Planetary Science Letters (accepted)
Cassidy, M., Trofimovs, J., Watt, S.F.L., Palmer, M.R., Taylor, R.N., Gernon, T.M., Talling, P.J., Le Friant, A. (2014) ‘Multi-stage collapse events in the South Soufrière Hills, Montserrat, as recorded in marine sediment cores’, In: Wadge, G., Robertson, R., Voight, B., (eds) The eruption of Soufrière Hills volcano, Montserrat from 2000 to 2010, Memoir of the Geological Society, London
Stevenson, J. A., C. Rae, J. S. Gilbert, S. Harangi, R. Lukács B. Højgaard, U. Árting, S. Pyne-O’Donnell, A. MacLeod, S. Loughlin, A.E. Milodowski and M. Cassidy. (2012) ‘Observations of Distal Tephra From the Eyjafjallajökull 2010 Summit Eruption’. J. Geophys. Res., doi:10.1029/2011JB008904
Stevenson, J. A., Mitchell, N. C., Cassidy M., Pinkerton H., (2012), Widespread inflation and drainage of a pāhoehoe flow field: the Nesjahraun, Þingvellir, Iceland. Bulletin of Volcanology. 74 (1),15-31, DOI: 10.1007/s00445-011-0482-z
Stevenson, J. A., Mitchell, N. C., Mochrie, F., Cassidy M., Pinkerton H., (2012), Lava penetrating water: the different behaviours of pāhoehoe and ‘a‘ā at the Nesjahraun, Þingvellir, Iceland.Bulletin of Volcanology. 74 (1), 33-46, DOI: 10.1007/s00445-011-0480-1