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Dr Rebecca Williams

@volcanologist.bsky.social

3.3K followers 890 following 690 posts

Reader in Volcanology in Geology @Hull. Waffle about volcanoes, HigherEd, tea and occasional running. SFHEA & STEM ambassador. She/her.

Sociology 22%

Public Health 15%

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Dr Rebecca Williams @volcanologist.bsky.social · Aug 2

It's about time I announced a project that I've been working on in the last year... I wrote a book!

'Volcanoes: 10 things you should know' published by @orionbooks.bsky.social Seven Dials will be out in September. It's available to pre-order now. Links: linktr.ee/volcanologist

A graphic of a book. The cover is a deep red and had a good line illustration of an erupting volcano.

Dr Rebecca Williams @volcanologist.bsky.social · Aug 31

The fight to see which mineral reigns supreme begins!

Mineral Cup #MinCup25 @mineralcup.bsky.social · Aug 29

Behold, the #MinCup35 bracket!

Use it to follow along, plan campaigns to support your favs, or make predictions on how voting will shake out. We start at the top left on September 1st, then alternate left and right as we work our way down.

A sports-style elimination bracket of 32 minerals labeled "Mineral Cup 2025". Text below reads, "Daily voting takes place on www.MineralCup.org in September. Campaign on your favorite social media using #MinCup25."

The starting matches are, in chronological order: chrysotile versus pectolite, stibnite versus okenite, jeremejevite versus haüyne, calcite versus perovskite, silver versus baryte, carpathite versus leucite, sanidine versus hematite, pollucite versus tugtupite, kosmochlor versus azurite, dioptase versus wavellite, titanite versus thortveitite, zunyite versus molybdenite, topaz versus kyanite, cuprosklodowskite versus ikaite, taenite versus nontronite, and paddlewheelite versus mannardite.

Dr Rebecca Williams @volcanologist.bsky.social · Aug 31

Congratulations again for a great thesis!

Reposted by Colleen M. Iversen, Rebecca Williams, Jennifer A. Johnson

Mineral Cup #MinCup25 @mineralcup.bsky.social · Aug 29

Behold, the #MinCup35 bracket!

Use it to follow along, plan campaigns to support your favs, or make predictions on how voting will shake out. We start at the top left on September 1st, then alternate left and right as we work our way down.

A sports-style elimination bracket of 32 minerals labeled "Mineral Cup 2025". Text below reads, "Daily voting takes place on www.MineralCup.org in September. Campaign on your favorite social media using #MinCup25."

The starting matches are, in chronological order: chrysotile versus pectolite, stibnite versus okenite, jeremejevite versus haüyne, calcite versus perovskite, silver versus baryte, carpathite versus leucite, sanidine versus hematite, pollucite versus tugtupite, kosmochlor versus azurite, dioptase versus wavellite, titanite versus thortveitite, zunyite versus molybdenite, topaz versus kyanite, cuprosklodowskite versus ikaite, taenite versus nontronite, and paddlewheelite versus mannardite.

Reposted by Rebecca Williams

Buffy's Blog @buffyblogs.bsky.social · Aug 19

We’ve lost almost our entire silent film history because “who would want that” and the silver that could be mined by melting down the film stock.

Reposted by Martin Tomko

Dr Rebecca Williams @volcanologist.bsky.social · Aug 19

I've been worried about this kind of thing for a while. When all our p papers, data and resources are online, what happens when those sites go down?

Do any of the big national libraries archive this stuff?

Dr. Or M. Bialik |📚|🔬|🌊|⚒️ @obialik.bsky.social · Aug 19

All hail the @waybackmachine.bsky.social! Saver of old published scientific codes, which Elsevier dumped when they bought up Computer & Geosciences. ⚒️
(Seriously, the papers are there, but the codes are not included and linked to a dead website)

Reposted by Rebecca Williams

British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @bas.ac.uk · Aug 19

Are you a researcher, policymaker or professional working in climate science, environmental policy and sustainability?

📆 Save the date for 29 and 30 September.

📸 Paul Holland, BAS

Scientists working on ice

Reposted by Rebecca Williams

Dr. Or M. Bialik |📚|🔬|🌊|⚒️ @obialik.bsky.social · Aug 19

All hail the @waybackmachine.bsky.social! Saver of old published scientific codes, which Elsevier dumped when they bought up Computer & Geosciences. ⚒️
(Seriously, the papers are there, but the codes are not included and linked to a dead website)

Reposted by Rebecca Williams

University of Nebraska Press @univnebpress.bsky.social · Aug 18

"A revisionist retelling of the narratives of heroic exploration, @edarmstonsheret.bsky.social‬’s book presents an alternative history of exploration," writes Daniella McCahey of ON THE BACKS OF OTHERS for @hnetreviews.bsky.social.

Read the review: bit.ly/45mEiyh

Cover of "On the Backs of Others: Rethinking the History of British Geographical Exploration" by Edward Armston-Sheret

Reposted by Rebecca Williams

European Geosciences Union (EGU) @egu.eu · Aug 18

Are you struggling to #write about your #research for a non-specialist audience?

Don't miss this #webinar on best practices and techniques in academic writing to help you communicate and engage more efficiently with the #general #public.

🔗 Register here: egu.eu/8DDSBL

Image description: laptop, notepad, pen, and a cup of coffee with text reading:" WEBINAR SERIES. Text reading: " "Popular Science Writing: From Blogs to Press Releases Tuesday, 9 September 2025 at 14:00 CEST".

Reposted by Rebecca Williams

Dr Ellie Murray, ScD @epiellie.bsky.social · Aug 17

Jargon exists because it allows academics to be highly exact and technical, with a minimum amount of explanation.

Jaron is also highly stable across time (although not, necessarily, across fields!). Lay language can change much quicker!

Reposted by Rebecca Williams

Dr Ellie Murray, ScD @epiellie.bsky.social · Aug 17

Communication *within* an academic field is the life-blood of academics. That’s what makes it different from a bunch of people just sitting around thinking or tinkering in their garage.

It is a *collective* endeavor, and communication is how we ensure that.

Reposted by Rebecca Williams, Dawn J. Wright

Jorge Ginés 🇪🇺 🌍🛰️ 🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻 @lithospheric.jorgegines.com · Aug 15

Excuse me?
End of Earth science at NASA???

🧪 ⚒️

NASA’s acting chief calls for the end of Earth science at the space agency

NASA’s charter clearly states the agency should study planet Earth, however.

arstechnica.com

Reposted by Rebecca Williams

James Dalziel @j-dalziel.bsky.social · Aug 15

This paper by Meredith et al. (2025) examines global city exposure to volcanic hazards, using metrics such as population and distance to GVP Holocene volcanoes to quantify and rank cities at risk. This data has also been visualised through a web app. nhess.copernicus.org/articles/25/...

Cities near volcanoes: which cities are most exposed to volcanic hazards?

Abstract. Cities near volcanoes expose dense concentrations of people, buildings, and infrastructure to volcanic hazards. Identifying cities globally that are exposed to volcanic hazards helps guide l...

nhess.copernicus.org

Reposted by Margot C. Finn, Rebecca Williams, Dave O’Brien

Social Market Foundation @smfthinktank.bsky.social · Aug 14

📚Level 3 Results Day analysis📚

Key points:
🔵Regional gaps in university entry continue to widen
🔵Progress on widening access has stalled
🔵Lower tariff unis still squeezed as higher and medium tariff institutions expand to plug budget gaps

🧵for details

Reposted by Rebecca Williams, Glen O’Hara

Social Market Foundation @smfthinktank.bsky.social · Aug 14

🔵Higher tariff acceptances have soared, far surpassing even their pandemic peak in 2021
🔵In lower tariff unis, acceptances have fallen slightly

Lower tariff unis are squeezed as higher and medium tariff ones expand to plug budget gaps...

Reposted by Rebecca Williams

Social Market Foundation @smfthinktank.bsky.social · Aug 14

Regional gaps in progression to university continue to widen.

London remains the region with the highest university entry rate for 18-year-olds (43.4%), compared to just 24.9% in the North East (lowest rate of access).

Reposted by Rebecca Williams

Social Market Foundation @smfthinktank.bsky.social · Aug 14

The gap in university entry rates between young people from the most and least deprived areas stands at 21.6 percentage points...

...a figure that has barely shifted since 2016.

Reposted by Rebecca Williams

Rage Against the Miocene @organiccarbon.bsky.social · Aug 12

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

‘If these words reach you … Israel has succeeded in killing me’: the last words of a journalist killed in Gaza

Anas al-Sharif, an Al Jazeera reporter, was killed by an Israeli airstrike on Sunday night. This is the message he had prepared for his family, and his call for the world not to forget Gaza

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Jonathan Hopkin, Alastair H. Leyland, James Connelly , and 7 more Jonathan Hopkin, Alastair H. Leyland, James Connelly, Rebecca Williams, Melanie Simms, Christopher Smith, Dave O’Brien, Jack Stilgoe, Glen O’Hara, Alan McNally

profserious @profserious.bsky.social · Aug 10

Very few people seem to understand university finances and, distressingly, this includes many academics and most policymakers. This is an attempt to condense the key points you need to know. open.substack.com/pub/profseri...

Understanding University Finances

... a very short guide

open.substack.com

Reposted by Rebecca Williams

Rock Lab Strasbourg @rocklabstrasbourg.bsky.social · Aug 10

Mount Meager in British Columbia 🌋🇨🇦
📸 taken from the top of Cracked Mountain

Reposted by Rebecca Williams

El Espectro 👻 🎃 @telescoper.bsky.social · Aug 9

National Famine Way

Yesterday evening on my way out for a meal I got talking to a couple of people who asked for directions. It turned out that they were on the National Famine Way which, to my shame, I hadn't heard about. When I got home I looked up the website and decided to put it on my list of…

National Famine Way

Yesterday evening on my way out for a meal I got talking to a couple of people who asked for directions. It turned out that they were on the National Famine Way which, to my shame, I hadn't heard about. When I got home I looked up the website and decided to put it on my list of things to do.

telescoper.blog

Reposted by Tom Shakespeare, Alison Phipps, Rebecca Williams , and 1 more Tom Shakespeare, Alison Phipps, Rebecca Williams, Michael Larkin

Philippe Auclair @philippeauclair.bsky.social · Aug 9

I admire Mo Salah's restraint.

"Farewell". Really?

Suleiman al-Obeid was killed by the IDF as he was queuing for food in Gaza. Say it, you cowards.

A photograph of Suleiman al-Obeid, former captain of the Pakestinian national football team, killed by the IDF as he was queuing for food.

Dr Rebecca Williams @volcanologist.bsky.social · Aug 9

I have funding right now that runs out. So if preferable, I'd like something that I can buy for 5 years. Rather than subscription. And something where the storage space is stable (Lucid is monthly and in the starter package, the space depends on how many members you have).

Dr Rebecca Williams @volcanologist.bsky.social · Aug 9

I don't want Dropbox or Google drive (unless those really are the best) at I already pay for those personally.

I've been recommended Lucid Link. Others?

The storage collaboration platform for creatives

LucidLink empowers fast and secure collaboration for creative teams working with any file size, across any distance.

www.lucidlink.com

Dr Rebecca Williams @volcanologist.bsky.social · Aug 9

Looking for recommendations!

I went an online storage for our research group and their data. So we can archive video data, image data etc., from a long line of projects. Files downloadable, but secure/backed up. Where people can deposit easily for our own purposes (made open by other means).

Reposted by Rebecca Williams

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · Aug 9

‘Serious questions’ raised over Global Talent Fund allocations.

Concerns grow over omission of northern universities as Patrick Vallance insists UKRI made funding decisions.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

‘Serious questions’ raised over Global Talent Fund allocations - Research Professional News

Concerns grow over omission of northern universities as Patrick Vallance insists UKRI made funding decisions

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

Reposted by Rebecca Williams, Christian Odendahl

National Trust @nationaltrust.org.uk · Aug 8

Just another relatable National Trust sign

A grey sign with white writing stands in front of an old tree. The sign reads: I am very old and need to rest. Please don't sit on me

Reposted by Karen A. Kidd, Jason Stajich, Rebecca Williams , and 5 more Karen A. Kidd, Jason Stajich, Rebecca Williams, Shaun C. Hendy, Michael Müller, Larry W. Hunter, Mya Breitbart, Mélissa Mialon

Lydia Jennings, PhD @1nativesoilnerd.bsky.social · Aug 8

New article led by Tara McAllister & co-authored by Lelani Walker, @niiyokamigaabaw.bsky.social, myself, Bradley Moggridge, Serena Naepi, Brittany Kamai and @napaaqtuk.bsky.social

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Decolonize scientific institutions, don’t just diversify them

Indigenous scholars set out eight steps to stop marginalization in academia and to enable a shared Indigenous agenda in science.

Reposted by Rebecca Williams

Glyn Williams-Jones @volcancanuck.bsky.social · Aug 8

Shared on behalf of the USGS: HVO Volcano Watch for August 7, 2025
#volcano #earthscience #geology

"Discovery of a Massive Submarine Landslide Near the 1957 Aleutian Earthquake Epicenter"

www.usgs.gov/observatorie...

Volcano Watch — Discovery of a massive submarine landslide near the 1957 Aleutian earthquake epicenter

As part of a growing national effort to understand seafloor hazards, scientists from the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) Volcano Science Center (VSC) are working across agencies to investigat...

Reposted by Rebecca Williams

Ada Lovelace Day @adalovelaceday.bsky.social · Aug 8

Inge Lehmann, a Danish seismologist & geophysicist, discovered evidence of the Earth's solid inner core & molten outer core. Her work was confirmed by computer models decades later, but she did all her data collection & calculations by hand. More: adalovelaceday.subst...

Inge Lehmann, Seismologist and geophysicist

Inge Lehmann was a seismologist and geophysicist who discovered that the Earth has a solid inner core and a molten outer core.

adalovelaceday.substack.com