Field Course, Nicolosi, Sicily, April, 2015

Aims and scope: This intensive week-long (5 taught days) field course on Mount Etna, Sicily, will develop understanding of many of the complex processes that take place both on the surface and beneath volcanoes. Each day is spent in the field at key localities, studying the features and processes involved in the evolution of a basaltic volcano. The course allows students to improve their theoretical knowledge of volcanic processes and their field skills through a problem-based approach. Higher level problems such as understanding the plumbing system of a complex volcano or the role of ‘volcano spreading’ and slope instability run throughout the entire course, whilst lower level problems will be addressed at individual localities. Etna has a wealth of varied deposits, and we aim to visit several of the recent lava flow fields (e.g. 2002-3) and usually include least one lava tube. During the course, students will improve their observational and deductive skills, with group discussions and group analysis of data forming an essential component of the work. Hazard assessment and mitigation will also be discussed.
 
Logistics: The ESRs will join a group of Lancaster University students (undergraduates and masters-level) who are taking the course as part of their degrees at Lancaster University. The course will be delivered by Mike James and Steve Lane. The group will stay in a small hotel in Nicolosi and travel to field localities each day by minibus. Breakfast and lunch are usually eaten in the field, allowing a return to the hotel by around 5-6 pm in the evening. Evening sessions are used to further discuss earlier observations or to explore other areas such as monitoring techniques. Students will need to arrange their travel to and from Nicolosi for the course (transport from Catania airport may be available, depending on specific flight arrangements).
 
Cost: The course will cost 450 GBP, which will include accommodation for 6 nights (shared rooms). Meals are not included.
 
Dates: The field days will be 9-13 April, 2015. Students should arrive on 8th April, and the accommodation will cover the nights of 8-13 April.
 
Suitability: The course is taught at a level that assumes students have an understanding of how volcanoes work (such as from the Munich NEMOH school), but do not have a significant field work background. ESRs must be prepared to work outside in challenging conditions (the weather on Etna in April is highly variable, with snow and rain very likely) and a reasonable level of fitness is required.
 
Application, selection and deadlines: Applications for attending the field course should be made by email to Mike James (m.james (AT) lancs.ac.uk). However, due to the logistics of the course, only a few places can be made available to ESRs in 2015 and selection may be necessary. Thus, application emails should contain (a) one short paragraph on your volcanological experience and (b) a second short paragraph describing how attending this course would be beneficial to your development and research. The application deadline is Sunday, 9th November.
 
Note: For the duration of the course, the ESRs would be enrolled and considered as Lancaster students. However, ESRs will not be assessed and attendance will not lead to any formal qualification.
 
For any queries, please contact Mike (m.james (AT) lancs.ac.uk).
Photos from the 2013 and 2014 courses:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/lu_volcanology_etna_2013/pool/

http://www.flickr.com/groups/lu_volcanology_etna_2014a/pool/

http://www.flickr.com/groups/lu_volcanology_etna_2014b/pool/