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| Simon Carn | |
|---|---|
| Name | Simon Carn |
| Fields | Volcanology, Geochemistry, Atmospheric Science, Remote Sensing |
| Institutions | Boston University, University of Oxford, University of Bristol |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge, University of Oxford |
| Known for | Satellite remote sensing of volcanic emissions, volcanic degassing, stratospheric aerosols |
Simon Carn Simon Carn is a volcanologist and geochemist known for pioneering satellite-based studies of volcanic gas emissions, volcanic plumes, and their atmospheric impacts. His work spans field volcanology, laboratory geochemistry, and remote sensing using instruments on platforms such as NASA and ESA satellites, contributing to hazard assessment, climate studies, and aerosol science. Carn has held academic appointments and contributed to interdisciplinary collaborations linking NASA, ESA, and university research groups.
Carn completed undergraduate and graduate training in the United Kingdom before establishing a research program that bridges continental and oceanic volcanic regions. He studied at University of Cambridge where he received foundational training in geosciences and then pursued postgraduate research at the University of Oxford focusing on volcanic petrology and gas geochemistry. During his doctoral and postdoctoral work he engaged with field campaigns at volcanic centers in regions such as the Aleutian Islands, Iceland, and the Kermadec Arc, collaborating with researchers from institutions including the British Geological Survey and the Smithsonian Institution.
Carn has held faculty and research positions at major research universities and national laboratories, integrating observational, modeling, and laboratory techniques. He served on the faculty at Boston University within departments related to Earth sciences and environmental science, and has been affiliated with the University of Bristol and research groups at the University of Oxford. His roles have included principal investigator on satellite remote sensing projects funded by agencies such as NASA and the National Science Foundation, participation in advisory committees for observatory networks like the Global Volcanism Program, and leadership in interdisciplinary centers linking volcanology, atmospheric chemistry, and hazard mitigation.
Carn’s research focuses on volcanic gas emissions, plume chemistry, and aerosol processes, exploiting spaceborne ultraviolet and infrared spectroscopy to quantify sulfur dioxide (SO2), sulfuric acid aerosols, and halogen species. He advanced techniques for retrievals from instruments including the OMI, IASI, and the TOMS, enabling global inventories of volcanic SO2 and time-resolved studies of eruptions. His work connects volcanic degassing to phenomena studied by the IPCC and to regional air quality episodes monitored by agencies such as the EPA. Carn has investigated volcanic contributions to stratospheric aerosol layers observed after explosive eruptions (for example, eruptions in the Philippines and Indonesia), linking gas emissions to climate forcing, radiative transfer, and ozone chemistry researched by groups at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and NOAA.
He has contributed to volcanic hazard science through rapid-response satellite detection of explosive events at volcanoes such as those in the Aleutian Islands, Ecuador, and Iceland, informing aviation safety efforts coordinated with organizations like the ICAO. His interdisciplinary projects integrate volcanic petrology with atmospheric modeling from groups using tools developed at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and NCAR.
Carn’s publications include peer-reviewed articles in leading journals addressing satellite SO2 retrieval algorithms, plume dispersion, and the interplay between volcanic aerosols and climate. He has co-authored studies reporting global volcanic SO2 emission inventories, case studies of major eruptions that affected stratospheric aerosol optical depth, and methodological papers comparing ultraviolet and infrared retrievals. These works are widely cited by researchers in volcanology, atmospheric chemistry, and climate science, influencing operational monitoring protocols at institutions such as the WMO and research programs at Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Key collaborative publications have examined the 21st-century eruptive contributions to atmospheric composition, the role of halogen release from explosive eruptions in stratospheric ozone perturbations studied alongside teams from University of Leeds and ETH Zurich, and the application of satellite datasets to volcanic plume forecasting systems used by regional volcano observatories including the Alaska Volcano Observatory and the Instituto Geofísico.
Carn’s scientific contributions have been recognized by professional societies and funding agencies through competitive grants, invited plenary lectures at conferences sponsored by the AGU and the EGU, and awards from institutional partners. He has served on editorial boards of journals in geosciences and atmospheric science and been selected for collaborative fellowships and research awards supported by organizations such as NASA and the NSF.
As a university faculty member, Carn has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in volcanology, geochemistry, and remote sensing, supervising doctoral and postdoctoral researchers from diverse international backgrounds. His mentees have gone on to positions at academic institutions, government agencies like USGS volcano programs, and industry groups focused on remote sensing and hazard assessment. He has contributed to curriculum development that integrates fieldwork at volcanic sites with satellite data analysis used in classes at institutions including Boston University and summer schools organized by the IAVCEI.
Carn has participated in public science communication via media briefings after major eruptions, interviews with outlets covering natural hazards and climate, and outreach collaborations with museums and science centers such as the Natural History Museum, London and university public lecture series. He has provided expert input to governmental and international advisory panels concerning aviation safety, air-quality advisories, and the interpretation of satellite-derived volcanic emissions for stakeholders including the ICAO and regional emergency management agencies.
Category:Volcanologists Category:Geochemists