Clive Oppenheimer

Clive Oppenheimer
Born (1964-05-28) 28 May 1964 (age 60)
Alma materUniversity of Cambridge (BA)
Open University (PhD)
Known forEruptions that Shook the World[3]
Into the Inferno
AwardsMurchison Award (2005)
Scientific career
FieldsVolcanology[1]
Geochemistry[1]
Antarctica[1]
InstitutionsUniversity of Cambridge
ThesisVolcanology from space : applications of infrared remote sensing (1991)
Doctoral advisorPeter Francis[2]
David Rothery[2]
WebsiteDepartmental website

Clive Oppenheimer (born 1964) is a British volcanologist, and Professor of Volcanology in the Department of Geography of the University of Cambridge.[4][5][6]

Education

Oppenheimer studied the Natural Sciences Tripos at the University of Cambridge where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1986.[7] He has a PhD from the Open University,[4] his thesis investigated the use of remote sensing in volcanology and was supervised by Peter Francis and David Rothery.[2]

Career and research

Oppenheimer's research interests are in volcanology and geochemistry, particularly in Antarctica.[1][8][9] He has spent 13 seasons doing field work on Mount Erebus in Antarctica. In addition to his volcanological work he discovered two previously lost campsites used by a group of explorers from Scott's Terra Nova expedition in 1912, now recognised as protected sites under the Antarctic Treaty System.[4][10][11]

In 2011, the Government of North Korea invited him, his PhD student Kayla Iacovino, and volcanologist James Hammond of Imperial College, London to study the Baekdu Mountain for recent volcanic activity. Their project was continuing in 2014 and expected to last for another "two or three years".[12][13]

He is a member of the Cambridge Volcanology unit.[4]

Media appearances

Oppenheimer has appeared on BBC Radio 4's The Museum of Curiosity. His hypothetical donation to this imaginary museum was a small tin of magma.[14] He has also appeared on The Infinite Monkey Cage alongside Jo Brand and Tamsin Mather[15] and Midweek and In Our Time on BBC Radio 4.[4]

Oppenheimer has also collaborated with filmmaker Werner Herzog on three documentaries. He appeared in Herzog's films Encounters at the End of the World and is prominently featured Into the Inferno. In 2020, he made his directorial debut with his third Herzog film, Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds, which Oppenheimer and Herzog co-directed.

Awards and honours

In 2005 he was awarded the Murchison Award by the Royal Geographical Society “for publications judged to contribute most to geographical science in preceding recent years”.[16][17]

Selected publications

His publications[1][18] include Eruptions that Shook the World[3][19] which formed the basis of the 2016 film Into the Inferno directed by Werner Herzog.[20][21] In 2023, Hodder Press published Mountains of Fire: The Secret Lives of Volcanoes. Writing for Literary Review, John Gribbin said: "This...is neither a dry academic account of his research nor a standard popularisation. Instead, Oppenheimer weaves together science, history and culture into a book that is far greater than the sum of its parts."[22]

  • Eruptions that Shook the World[3]
  • Volcanoes by Peter Francis and Clive Oppenheimer[23]
  • Volcanism and the Earth's Atmosphere [24]
  • Volcanic Degassing[25]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Clive Oppenheimer publications indexed by Google Scholar Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ a b c Oppenheimer, Clive (1991). Volcanology from space : applications of infrared remote sensing. jisc.ac.uk (PhD thesis). Open University. OCLC 59919963. EThOS uk.bl.ethos.293718. Archived from the original on 24 July 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2017. Free access icon
  3. ^ a b c Oppenheimer, Clive (2011). Eruptions that Shook the World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511978012. ISBN 978-0521641128.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Clive Oppenheimer BA PhD". cam.ac.uk. University of Cambridge. Department of Geography. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  5. ^ Klemetti, Erik (26 July 2011). "Q&A: Dr. Clive Oppenheimer answers your questions!". wired.com. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  6. ^ Mather, T.A.; Tsanev, V.I.; Pyle, D.M.; McGonigle, A.J.S.; Oppenheimer, C.; Allen, A. G. (2004). "Characterization and evolution of tropospheric plumes from Lascar and Villarrica volcanoes, Chile". Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. 109 (D21): D21303. Bibcode:2004JGRD..10921303M. doi:10.1029/2004JD004934.
  7. ^ "Department of Geography, Cambridge » Clive Oppenheimer". www.geog.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  8. ^ Francis, P.; Horrocks, L.; Oppenheimer, C. (2000). "Monitoring gases from andesite volcanoes". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences. 358 (1770): 1567–1584. Bibcode:2000RSPTA.358.1567F. doi:10.1098/rsta.2000.0604. ISSN 1364-503X. S2CID 140709631.
  9. ^ Galle, Bo; Oppenheimer, Clive; Geyer, Andreas; McGonigle, Andrew J.S; Edmonds, Marie; Horrocks, Lisa (2003). "A miniaturised ultraviolet spectrometer for remote sensing of SO₂ fluxes: a new tool for volcano surveillance". Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. 119 (1–4): 241–254. Bibcode:2003JVGR..119..241G. doi:10.1016/S0377-0273(02)00356-6. ISSN 0377-0273.
  10. ^ "HSM 89: Terra Nova Expedition 1910-12, Upper "Summit Camp" used during survey of Mount Erebus in December 1912". Antarctic Treaty Secretariat. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  11. ^ "HSM 90: Terra Nova Expedition 1910-12, Lower "Camp E" Site used during survey of Mount Erebus in December 1912". Antarctic Treaty Secretariat. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  12. ^ "Rumbling volcano sees N. Korea warm to the West". CBS News. 16 September 2014.
  13. ^ Hammond, James (9 February 2016). "Understanding Volcanoes in Isolated Locations". Science & Diplomacy. 5 (1).
  14. ^ "The Museum of Curiosity: Series 11, Episode 5". BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  15. ^ "Volcanoes, Series 17, The Infinite Monkey Cage - BBC Radio 4". BBC.
  16. ^ "List and Description" (PDF). rgs.org. Royal Geographical Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  17. ^ "Recipients 1970-2016" (PDF). Medals and Awards. Royal Geographical Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  18. ^ Clive Oppenheimer publications indexed by the Scopus bibliographic database. (subscription required)
  19. ^ Witze, Alexandra (29 July 2011). "BOOK REVIEW: Eruptions That Shook the World by Clive Oppenheimer". Science News. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  20. ^ Debruge, Peter (5 September 2016). "Film Review: 'Into the Inferno'". Variety. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  21. ^ Grove, Jack (20 October 2016). "The volcanologist who led Werner Herzog into the inferno". timeshighereducation.com. Times Higher Education. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  22. ^ "John Gribbin - Flames Beneath His Feet". Literary Review. 24 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  23. ^ Volcanoes by Peter Francis and Clive Oppenheimer (2nd ed, 2004, Oxford UP ISBN 978-0199254699)
  24. ^ Volcanism and the Earth's Atmosphere edited by Alan Robock and Clive Oppenheimer, (2004, Wiley ISBN 978-0875909981)
  25. ^ Volcanic Degassing by Clive Oppenheimer, D.M. Pyle, J. Braclay (2003, Geological Society ISBN 9781862391369)