Our Team.
Our Volcano Forensics team brings together postdocs, PhD, master’s, and undergraduate students researching a wide range of topics, from magma dynamics and eruption processes to volcanic gases, petrology, and hazard assessment. Through fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and modeling, we work to deepen understanding of volcanic systems and their impacts on society.
Alejandro Cisneros de León, PhD
My research explores the complex processes and timescales that shape Quaternary magmatic systems responsible for explosive eruptions. My work focuses on the microanalysis of geochronologically significant accessory minerals, particularly zircon, integrating field observations with petrochronology, high-temperature geochemistry, thermochronology, chemical diffusion studies, and thermochemical modeling. This multidisciplinary approach provides critical insights into the rates of silicic magma evolution, magma dynamics, and the physicochemical conditions of magma reservoirs. These insights are essential for identifying eruption triggers and tempos, precisely dating past explosive events, improving volcanic hazard forecasting, and assessing their influence on Earth’s climate
Dennis Lemus
My research focuses on reconstructing past volcanic eruptions and understanding the evolution of magmatic systems. I integrate field observations, tephrostratigraphy, geochemistry, and mineralogical analyses to investigate pre-eruptive conditions and the magnitude of ancient eruptions. By reconstructing these events, my work improves our understanding of eruptive histories and magmatic processes while contributing to more robust assessments of volcanic hazards. My current research focuses on volcanoes in El Salvador, where significant gaps remain in the record of past eruptions, limiting our understanding of their volcanic-hazard implications
Institutional collaborations
