Scientist returns to familiar volcano.Byline: Scott Maben The Register-Guard For University of Oregon The University of Oregon is a public university located in Eugene, Oregon. The university was founded in 1876, graduating its first class two years later. The University of Oregon is one of 60 members of the Association of American Universities. geology professor Kathy Cashman, Mount St. Helens picked a horrible time to get lively. The southwestern Washington volcano is the reason Cashman chose volcanology volcanology or vulcanology Scientific discipline concerned with all aspects of volcanic phenomena. Volcanology deals with the formation, distribution, and classification of volcanoes, as well as their structure and the kinds of materials ejected during an as a career, and she studied the 1980-86 eruptions there long after others lost interest. But she has missed the recent spell of activity while on sabbatical sab·bat·i·cal also sab·bat·ic adj. 1. Relating to a sabbatical year. 2. Sabbatical also Sabbatic Relating or appropriate to the Sabbath as the day of rest. n. A sabbatical year. in Italy. "Having the volcano come to life again while I am out of the country has been a bit of a shock," Cashman said in an interview last week via e-mail. She decided to cut short her stay in Italy, where she recently watched lava flow from Mount Etna, and fly home this weekend to be near St. Helens. "I am returning because I feel that I know the volcano, particularly through the pumice pumice (pŭm`ĭs), volcanic glass formed by the solidification of lava that is permeated with gas bubbles. Usually found at the surface of a lava flow, it is colorless or light gray and has the general appearance of a rock froth. and lava that it has produced, better than most people," Cashman said. She believes she can help U.S. Geological Survey The term geological survey can be used to describe both the conduct of a survey for geological purposes and an institution holding geological information. A geological survey scientists understand exactly what is happening during the recent activity. The mountain's new eruptions may improve the ability of researchers to assess hazards posed by volcanoes, she said. "I think that it is the volcano-people interaction that I am most interested in at this point," she said. Cashman studies the physical processes involved in volcanic eruptions volcanic eruptions discharging of fumes, dust and lava from volcanoes. They have damaging potential in addition to those of being physically overpowering by the lava flow or the ash or dust fallout. . She has used pumice from explosive eruptions at Mount St. Helens and lava from the volcano's dome to understand physical changes in the magma as it moves upward through the earth. From this, she tries to understand the physics that control the eruption itself. "In particular, I am interested in why some eruptions are explosive and some are not," she said. Cashman began a full-year sabbatical this summer, arriving in Italy in mid-August with the goal of working with Italian volcanologists to compare eruptive e·rupt v. e·rupt·ed, e·rupt·ing, e·rupts v.intr. 1. To emerge violently from restraint or limits; explode: My neighbor erupted in anger over the noise. 2. styles at Italian volcanoes - Etna, Stromboli and Vesuvius - with those in the Cascades. Two weeks ago she visited Etna. "I love both types of eruptions - explosive and lava flows - and by comparing the two I learn more about eruptive mechanisms," she said. CAPTION(S): Kathy Cashman, a University of Oregon geology professor, works near the crater of Mount St. Helens. |
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