Dr Rebecca Williams
@volcanologist.bsky.social
Reader in Volcanology in Geology @Hull. Waffle about volcanoes, HigherEd, tea and occasional running. SFHEA & STEM ambassador. She/her.
Pinned
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
'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
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Williams
Our preliminary analysis of the satellite observations of the #hayligubbi #eruption is now available online: comet.nerc.ac.uk/event-respon.... Details of the eruption onset, SO2 emissions and precursory deformation.
Event Response Reports - COMET
25th November 2025: COMET Event Response Report 2.4 – Erta Ale/Hayli Gubbi Purpose/Caveats: This event response report was produced to assist situational awarenessand rapid response efforts. It repres...
comet.nerc.ac.uk
November 25, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Our preliminary analysis of the satellite observations of the #hayligubbi #eruption is now available online: comet.nerc.ac.uk/event-respon.... Details of the eruption onset, SO2 emissions and precursory deformation.
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Williams
Spending a semester with us is a great option for undergraduate students who study volcanoes but have never seen one erupt. Feel free to reach out with any questions.
Did you know that UH Hilo participates in the National Student Exchange Program? We welcome students from all over the upper 49 states to our campus every year. We also have a robust international exchange program.
If you are interested in learning about volcanoes with a front row seat, reach out!
If you are interested in learning about volcanoes with a front row seat, reach out!
November 25, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Spending a semester with us is a great option for undergraduate students who study volcanoes but have never seen one erupt. Feel free to reach out with any questions.
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Williams
More Greenland photos, featuring some geology. Scoresbysund has some fantastic exposures of columnar basalts, which are ~55 million years old (young for Greenland rocks!) related to flood basalts when the Atlantic was opening up. Fantastical shapes and fall tundra colors
November 25, 2025 at 4:13 AM
More Greenland photos, featuring some geology. Scoresbysund has some fantastic exposures of columnar basalts, which are ~55 million years old (young for Greenland rocks!) related to flood basalts when the Atlantic was opening up. Fantastical shapes and fall tundra colors
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Williams
The #HayliGubbi eruption came after a period of unrest that started in June-July 2025 with a large dike intrusion in the southern sector of the Erta Ale rift. Our InSAR study will be out soon but you can have a summary at the link below. @earth-science.bsky.social #geoscience
Basaltic dike in Erta Ale triggers explosive eruption in Hayli Gubbi. Read our new paper!
www.frontiersin.org/journals/ear...
www.frontiersin.org/journals/ear...
Frontiers | Segmented dike intrusion linked to multi-level magma storage during and before the 2025 eruption at Erta Ale (East Africa)
Dike intrusions can assist continental rifting and plate divergence. However, our understanding of the magma dynamics during diking and the architecture of t...
www.frontiersin.org
November 25, 2025 at 4:11 AM
The #HayliGubbi eruption came after a period of unrest that started in June-July 2025 with a large dike intrusion in the southern sector of the Erta Ale rift. Our InSAR study will be out soon but you can have a summary at the link below. @earth-science.bsky.social #geoscience
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Williams
November 21, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Williams
Colonization was like a powerful jigsaw ripping apart nations' families, shredding them into the darkness of a denied past. Now, Indigenous people work to rebuild the puzzle, reclaiming the tiny pieces of history scattered to the winds and reclaiming their identities, histories, and homelands.
November 7, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Colonization was like a powerful jigsaw ripping apart nations' families, shredding them into the darkness of a denied past. Now, Indigenous people work to rebuild the puzzle, reclaiming the tiny pieces of history scattered to the winds and reclaiming their identities, histories, and homelands.
Downloaded in BBC Sounds and queued for my next commute! I ❤️ @toriherridge.bsky.social 's podcasts, whether her own or as a guest. Always so interesting.
Last Saturday I said I was an actual Tori Herridge Fan Girl. And it's absolutely true.
Last Saturday I said I was an actual Tori Herridge Fan Girl. And it's absolutely true.
On the Origin of Species was published on this day in 1859.
It really did change the world, and the way much of humanity views our place in nature.
I spoke to Radio 4's Opening Lines about it's importance -- both to science, and to me on a personal level
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
It really did change the world, and the way much of humanity views our place in nature.
I spoke to Radio 4's Opening Lines about it's importance -- both to science, and to me on a personal level
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Opening Lines - On the Origin of Species - BBC Sounds
John Yorke investigates Charles Darwin’s world-changing book On The Origin of Species.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Downloaded in BBC Sounds and queued for my next commute! I ❤️ @toriherridge.bsky.social 's podcasts, whether her own or as a guest. Always so interesting.
Last Saturday I said I was an actual Tori Herridge Fan Girl. And it's absolutely true.
Last Saturday I said I was an actual Tori Herridge Fan Girl. And it's absolutely true.
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Williams
On the Origin of Species was published on this day in 1859.
It really did change the world, and the way much of humanity views our place in nature.
I spoke to Radio 4's Opening Lines about it's importance -- both to science, and to me on a personal level
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
It really did change the world, and the way much of humanity views our place in nature.
I spoke to Radio 4's Opening Lines about it's importance -- both to science, and to me on a personal level
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Opening Lines - On the Origin of Species - BBC Sounds
John Yorke investigates Charles Darwin’s world-changing book On The Origin of Species.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 4:34 PM
On the Origin of Species was published on this day in 1859.
It really did change the world, and the way much of humanity views our place in nature.
I spoke to Radio 4's Opening Lines about it's importance -- both to science, and to me on a personal level
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
It really did change the world, and the way much of humanity views our place in nature.
I spoke to Radio 4's Opening Lines about it's importance -- both to science, and to me on a personal level
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
What's the 2025 equivalent to a Walkman?
Mini-volcanologist is 8 and loves music and dancing to music. She has an Echo Dot at home, but it's reliant on Kids Radio. We want something portable she can curate and play her own music on. Not a phone.
At this age I was attached to my Walkman. Recs?
Mini-volcanologist is 8 and loves music and dancing to music. She has an Echo Dot at home, but it's reliant on Kids Radio. We want something portable she can curate and play her own music on. Not a phone.
At this age I was attached to my Walkman. Recs?
November 24, 2025 at 6:49 PM
What's the 2025 equivalent to a Walkman?
Mini-volcanologist is 8 and loves music and dancing to music. She has an Echo Dot at home, but it's reliant on Kids Radio. We want something portable she can curate and play her own music on. Not a phone.
At this age I was attached to my Walkman. Recs?
Mini-volcanologist is 8 and loves music and dancing to music. She has an Echo Dot at home, but it's reliant on Kids Radio. We want something portable she can curate and play her own music on. Not a phone.
At this age I was attached to my Walkman. Recs?
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Williams
We think there was a small eruption there in July/August (at least a small plume) and some ongoing activity there since (including continued uplift). I suspect all linked to recent activity along dyke from Erta Ale (See COMET reports on July/August activity at comet.nerc.ac.uk/event-respon...).
Event Response Reports - COMET
4th September 2025: COMET Event Response Report 1.9 – Fentale Volcano, Ethiopia Purpose/Caveats: This event response report was produced to assist situational awareness and rapid response efforts. It...
comet.nerc.ac.uk
November 24, 2025 at 4:35 PM
We think there was a small eruption there in July/August (at least a small plume) and some ongoing activity there since (including continued uplift). I suspect all linked to recent activity along dyke from Erta Ale (See COMET reports on July/August activity at comet.nerc.ac.uk/event-respon...).
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Williams
Activity at Hayli Gubbi began in July when there was an eruption at Erte Ale. Magma propagated 30 km south passing under Hayli Gubbi. Since then, there has been a small plume, quasi-continuous SO2 emissions and uplift. Details in @uk-comet.bsky.social event response report: tinyurl.com/y3nfdfj8
tinyurl.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Activity at Hayli Gubbi began in July when there was an eruption at Erte Ale. Magma propagated 30 km south passing under Hayli Gubbi. Since then, there has been a small plume, quasi-continuous SO2 emissions and uplift. Details in @uk-comet.bsky.social event response report: tinyurl.com/y3nfdfj8
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Williams
An eruption from the #HayliGubbi volcano in #Ethiopia resulted in a large ash cloud, visible here from space. 🌋
This impressive view was seen 36,000km above Earth by our Meteosat-12 satellite on 23 November at 13:40 UTC.
This impressive view was seen 36,000km above Earth by our Meteosat-12 satellite on 23 November at 13:40 UTC.
November 24, 2025 at 10:10 AM
An eruption from the #HayliGubbi volcano in #Ethiopia resulted in a large ash cloud, visible here from space. 🌋
This impressive view was seen 36,000km above Earth by our Meteosat-12 satellite on 23 November at 13:40 UTC.
This impressive view was seen 36,000km above Earth by our Meteosat-12 satellite on 23 November at 13:40 UTC.
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Williams
Afar volcanism is known for its dyke intrusions and lava lake at Erta Ale, but here is an example of what looks like a pretty sizeable explosive eruption at a previously barely studied volcano, Hayli Gubbi 🌋🌋
An explosive #eruption of Hayli Gubbi #volcano, located SE of Erta'Ale in the Afar Rift (Ethiopia), began at ~08:30 UTC on Nov 23. Eruption onset was fortuitously captured by a @planet.com overpass at 08:31 UTC. Hayli Gubbi has no record of Holocene eruptions. Toulouse VAAC reporting ash to ~15 km.
November 24, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Afar volcanism is known for its dyke intrusions and lava lake at Erta Ale, but here is an example of what looks like a pretty sizeable explosive eruption at a previously barely studied volcano, Hayli Gubbi 🌋🌋
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Williams
The #HayliGubbi #eruption in Afar, Ethiopia, is the first documented eruption at this poorly known volcano.
Was it entirely unexpected?
Difficult to say - Berhe Goitom and colleagues already reported some seismicity in 2011-2012 so perhaps there was already some geophysical unrest for a while:
Was it entirely unexpected?
Difficult to say - Berhe Goitom and colleagues already reported some seismicity in 2011-2012 so perhaps there was already some geophysical unrest for a while:
November 24, 2025 at 10:58 AM
The #HayliGubbi #eruption in Afar, Ethiopia, is the first documented eruption at this poorly known volcano.
Was it entirely unexpected?
Difficult to say - Berhe Goitom and colleagues already reported some seismicity in 2011-2012 so perhaps there was already some geophysical unrest for a while:
Was it entirely unexpected?
Difficult to say - Berhe Goitom and colleagues already reported some seismicity in 2011-2012 so perhaps there was already some geophysical unrest for a while:
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Williams
Gmail users!!
They've turned on AI scraping by default now...Here's how to turn it off.
Pass it on!!
www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
They've turned on AI scraping by default now...Here's how to turn it off.
Pass it on!!
www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
Gmail can read your emails and attachments to train its AI, unless you opt out
A new Gmail update may allow Google to use your private messages and attachments for AI training. Here's how to turn it off.
www.malwarebytes.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Gmail users!!
They've turned on AI scraping by default now...Here's how to turn it off.
Pass it on!!
www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
They've turned on AI scraping by default now...Here's how to turn it off.
Pass it on!!
www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Williams
It’s widely known (and, I think, pretty uncontroversial) that learning requires effort — specifically, if you don’t have to work at getting the knowledge, it won’t stick.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
November 21, 2025 at 12:49 PM
It’s widely known (and, I think, pretty uncontroversial) that learning requires effort — specifically, if you don’t have to work at getting the knowledge, it won’t stick.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Williams
"Higher education generated £24bn in export earnings for the UK in 2022-23, far above aircraft manufacturing with £12bn, legal services with £9.5bn and telecoms with £8.8bn."
#HigherEd
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
#HigherEd
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Less than Greggs? Public have no idea of value of top universities, study finds
Belief that snack chain’s revenues exceed those of Oxford’s one of many misconceptions about UK’s HE sector
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:08 PM
"Higher education generated £24bn in export earnings for the UK in 2022-23, far above aircraft manufacturing with £12bn, legal services with £9.5bn and telecoms with £8.8bn."
#HigherEd
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
#HigherEd
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Williams
Study after study shows that using LLMs is bad for cognition, bad for learning, bad for understanding, bad for mental health. So why are our schools and universities still relentlessly pushing them?
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
November 21, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Study after study shows that using LLMs is bad for cognition, bad for learning, bad for understanding, bad for mental health. So why are our schools and universities still relentlessly pushing them?
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Williams
Indonesian authorities evacuate more than 900 people and are facilitating the safe return of 170 climbers stranded after the eruption of its Semeru volcano, one of the country’s tallest mountains.
Indonesia evacuates stranded climbers after Semeru volcano erupts
The alert level was maintained at its highest after Semeru erupted 10 times, emitting massive plumes of ash and sending lava and rocks as far as 8 miles down its slopes, officials said.
nbcnews.to
November 20, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Indonesian authorities evacuate more than 900 people and are facilitating the safe return of 170 climbers stranded after the eruption of its Semeru volcano, one of the country’s tallest mountains.
Semeru, Indonesia is erupting. Communities are being evacuated.
Incredible footage of pyroclastic density currents in the news.
youtube.com/watch?v=ducv...
Incredible footage of pyroclastic density currents in the news.
youtube.com/watch?v=ducv...
Indonesia's Mount Semeru erupts and covers villages with falling ash
YouTube video by Associated Press
youtube.com
November 20, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Semeru, Indonesia is erupting. Communities are being evacuated.
Incredible footage of pyroclastic density currents in the news.
youtube.com/watch?v=ducv...
Incredible footage of pyroclastic density currents in the news.
youtube.com/watch?v=ducv...
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Williams
Behold the horny beaver!*
*we may need to work on the name...
*we may need to work on the name...
November 19, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Behold the horny beaver!*
*we may need to work on the name...
*we may need to work on the name...
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Williams
Reposting this for more leads - please, ANY contacts in the licensing dept for the Science Museum?? I've waited months for email replies, and calling the numbers I've been given just gets hold music, answerphones and occassionally weird calls where they cut out or it's just white noise.
🗃️
🗃️
Has anyone had dealings with the Science Museum picture library recently & have any alternative contact info? I've had zero luck getting a response from them at the general email (it's been months since my first email) & my request is getting urgent :/ www.scienceandsociety.co.uk/contact.asp 🗃️
Contact Us - Science & Society Picture Library
View and buy rights managed stock photos at Science & Society Picture Library.
www.scienceandsociety.co.uk
November 19, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Reposting this for more leads - please, ANY contacts in the licensing dept for the Science Museum?? I've waited months for email replies, and calling the numbers I've been given just gets hold music, answerphones and occassionally weird calls where they cut out or it's just white noise.
🗃️
🗃️
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Williams
Save the CSIRO
Our national science & research agency is now facing more job cuts than under Tony Abbott
Call on the Albanese Govt to fund the scientists & research we need to tackle big issues we face from climate to food security and everything in between
www.davidpocock.com.au/save_our_csiro
Our national science & research agency is now facing more job cuts than under Tony Abbott
Call on the Albanese Govt to fund the scientists & research we need to tackle big issues we face from climate to food security and everything in between
www.davidpocock.com.au/save_our_csiro
November 19, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Save the CSIRO
Our national science & research agency is now facing more job cuts than under Tony Abbott
Call on the Albanese Govt to fund the scientists & research we need to tackle big issues we face from climate to food security and everything in between
www.davidpocock.com.au/save_our_csiro
Our national science & research agency is now facing more job cuts than under Tony Abbott
Call on the Albanese Govt to fund the scientists & research we need to tackle big issues we face from climate to food security and everything in between
www.davidpocock.com.au/save_our_csiro
Reposted by Dr Rebecca Williams
3 yrs ago, I was nearly recruited to CSIRO, which at the time felt like a dream job. Seeing this total cleansing of scientific talent across 🇦🇺 (not just in CSIRO) is so shocking.
Politicians so rarely pay attention the value of scientific careers, but when they do, be sure to get that message home👇🏾
Politicians so rarely pay attention the value of scientific careers, but when they do, be sure to get that message home👇🏾
Save the CSIRO
Our national science & research agency is now facing more job cuts than under Tony Abbott
Call on the Albanese Govt to fund the scientists & research we need to tackle big issues we face from climate to food security and everything in between
www.davidpocock.com.au/save_our_csiro
Our national science & research agency is now facing more job cuts than under Tony Abbott
Call on the Albanese Govt to fund the scientists & research we need to tackle big issues we face from climate to food security and everything in between
www.davidpocock.com.au/save_our_csiro
November 19, 2025 at 11:48 AM
3 yrs ago, I was nearly recruited to CSIRO, which at the time felt like a dream job. Seeing this total cleansing of scientific talent across 🇦🇺 (not just in CSIRO) is so shocking.
Politicians so rarely pay attention the value of scientific careers, but when they do, be sure to get that message home👇🏾
Politicians so rarely pay attention the value of scientific careers, but when they do, be sure to get that message home👇🏾