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For over three million years, humans and their early ancestors have lived alongside volcanoes, forging a deep connection with these fiery forces of nature. Today, nearly one billion people live close enough to active volcanoes to be affected when they erupt. Volcanoes shape our landscapes and cultures, provide valuable natural resources, and serve as natural laboratories for geoscientists. The deposits from past eruptions act as datable time capsules, preserving insights into how communities responded to volcanic crises. Volcanic activity throughout history has had disastrous impacts on communities but it has also spurred opportunities for innovation.

This talk explores the profound influence of volcanoes on our world, cultural heritage, and their potential to significantly disrupt modern life. It will uncover unexpected ways humans have interacted with volcanic landscapes and how that relationship has shaped history. Additionally, it will highlight how modern volcanology, combined with long-standing traditional knowledge of volcanic activity, is enhancing our understanding of past eruptions and their impacts. Ultimately, this talk will consider how volcanic geoheritage, together with its ecological and cultural significance, can serve as a bridge connecting geosciences to society through geotourism, geoeducation, nature conservation, and the development of resilient communities.

Speaker

Associate Professor Heather Handley (University of Twente / Monash University)

Heather is an Associate Professor of volcanic hazards and geoscience communication at the University of Twente, Netherlands and an Adjunct Associate Professor at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Heather’s research integrates volcanology, petrology and geochemistry, with social science and Indigenous knowledge to better understand how volcanoes work and reduce volcanic risk at local to global scales.

Heather is driven to communicate the role the critical role of geoscience in our sustainable future. To this endeavour she Co-Founded and is Director of the Earth Futures Festival, a UNESCO-supported international geoscience film festival. She regularly appears in the media talking about volcanoes, and has featured in TV documentaries for National Geographic, RMC Découverte, SBS Australia, and Discovery Science.

In recognition of her dedication to geoscience outreach, innovation in science communication, and commitment to inclusivity, Heather has been awarded the European Geosciences Union 2025 Katia and Maurice Kraft Award. In 2021 she received the Geological Society of Australia’s Beryl Nashar Award and is a
Science and Technology 2021-2022 Australia Superstar of STEM. In 2014, Heather received an Australian Institute of Policy and Science NSW, Young Tall Poppy Award

Heather strongly advocates for diversity and inclusion. She is Co-Founder and Inaugural President of the Women in Earth and Environmental Sciences Australasia Network, and champions equity in STEM globally.

In 2024, Heather became Co-Leader of the international volcanology association’s (IAVCEI) Commission on Volcanic Geoheritage and Protected Volcanic Landscapes. In her spare time over the last four years, she has been writing a forthcoming book on Australia’s little known but incredibly captivating geological and cultural volcanic heritage.

Heather has a Geology degree from The University of Edinburgh, a PhD in volcano geochemistry from Durham University. In 2012, she was awarded an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship to study the timescales of Earth-system processes.

Programme

17:45–18:00: Guests arrive for the Public Lecture

18:00–19:00: Talk takes place (including Q&A)

19:00: Event ends

Date, time and location

This Public Lecture will take place on Tuesday 18 March at 18:00 (GMT).

this is a hybrid event, which can be attended in person at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , or online via Zoom.

Registration

This lecture is free to attend. However, we are a registered charity (number: 210161) and we would welcome donations. If you would like to donate, you can do so here.

You can register for both in-person and virtual attendance here.

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