Professor Sebastian Watt DPhil

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Professor of Volcanology
Earth Sciences Research Lead

Contact details

Email: s.watt@bham.ac.uk

Address: School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Professor Watt’s research seeks to understand the drivers of volcano behaviour, investigating the physical and chemical processes that control volcanic hazards and the long-term development of volcanoes. Most of this research focuses on volcanism in subduction zones, and particularly in marine and island volcanic environments, which form potentially high-risk settings prone to complex hazard processes and that present various challenges for hazard monitoring and management. Current projects include research on volcanic landslides and tsunamis, investigations of lahar processes and their impacts in the marine environment, and the use of explosive eruption records to investigate long- and short-term patterns in eruptive behaviour.

Qualifications

BA MSci (2006) – University of Cambridge, Natural Sciences (Physical/Geological)
DPhil (2010) – University of Oxford, Department of Earth Sciences

Biography

Seb Watt's research investigates the physical and chemical processes that control the behaviour and long-term development of volcanoes. After completing a DPhil at the University of Oxford, investigating explosive eruption records in southern Chile, he moved to Southampton to study volcanic landslide processes offshore Montserrat, and was a NERC Postdoctoral Research fellow there from 2011. He moved to the University of Birmingham in 2013. He was awarded the EGU Arne Richter award in 2014, and the Murchison Fund of the Geological Society in 2015.

His research on explosive volcanic processes, volcanic landslides and volcanic tsunamis investigates complex and poorly predictable volcanic hazards, particularly in marine or coastal environments. Much of this research draws on fieldwork, including projects in Chile, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. He has participated in several marine research expeditions and in international drilling programmes. His research draws on a wide range of methods, combining physical and chemical analyses with modelling and geophysical datasets. There are also interdisciplinary elements to this research, including work with social scientists and collaborations with hazard management and geological agencies.

Postgraduate supervision

Sebastian Watt has research interests in the following areas: Tephrochronology and long-timescale volcanic eruption records Volcanic edifice collapse, landslide processes and associated hazards Feedbacks between volcanic construction/destruction and magmatic processes, and the influence of external (e.g. climatic) processes on volcanism. Mafic and monogenetic arc volcanism Environmental impacts of volcanic eruptions The application of statistical methods to geological datasets Those interested in postgraduate research are encouraged to contact Dr Watt via email to discuss potential projects and opportunities.

Research

Physical volcanic processes, including explosive eruption processes, volcanic edifice stability, volcanic landslides and volcanic tsunami hazards

Long-term controls and variation in the development and eruptive behaviour of volcanic systems

Impacts and records of volcanism in coastal, island and marine settings, and the influence of island and marine environments on volcanic hazard generation

Other activities

2024- Future Marine Research Infrastructure (UK), Science Advisory Group member
2023-2026 Secretary, Volcanic and Magmatic Studies Group, UK
2023-2026 NERC Ion Microprobe Facility, Steering Committee member
2015-2018 Committee Member, Volcanic and Magmatic Studies Group, UK
2013-2019 Subject Editor, Physical Volcanology, Journal of the Geological Society

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Hodgetts, AGE, Watt, SFL, Smith, VC, Sunyé-Puchol, I, Mastin, LG, Brown, ET, Valero-Garcés, B, Stockhecke, M, Ortega-Guerrero, B, Caballero, M, Lozano-García, S, Arce, JL, Werne, JP, Fawcett, PJ, Noren, AJ & Brady Shannon, K 2025, 'A 400-k.y. perspective on arc volcanism: An exceptional explosive eruption record from Central Mexico', Geological Society of America Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.1130/B38401.1

Stoepke, F, Ikari, MJ, Hampel, A, Meredew, K, Watt, S, Cassidy, M & Urlaub, M 2025, 'Deformation and Gravitational Instability at Anak Krakatau (Sunda Strait, Indonesia): Insights From Direct Shear Experiments and Finite-Element Models', Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, vol. 130, no. 5, e2024JB030544. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JB030544

Beresford-Browne, A, Jolley, D, Millett, J, Stevenson, C, Watt, S, Raine, R & Carter, E 2024, 'Depositional system and plant ecosystem responses to long-term low tempo volcanism, the Interbasaltic Formation, Antrim Lava Group', Geological Society, London, Special Publications, vol. 547, no. 1, pp. 483-509. https://doi.org/10.1144/SP547-2023-75

Hornbach, MJ, Kühn, M, Freudenthal, T, Graw, J, Berndt, C, Huhn-Frehers, K, Watt, SFL, Phrampus, BJ & Wood, WT 2024, 'New Heat Flow Measurements Offshore Montserrat: Advective Heat Flow Detected via MeBo Borehole Temperature Logging', Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, vol. 129, no. 9, e2023JB028651. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JB028651

Udy, ML, Ebmeier, SK, Watt, SFL, Hooper, A & Paredes, A 2024, 'Satellite measurement of forest disturbance, recovery and deposit distribution following explosive volcanic eruptions', Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, vol. 445, 108204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2024.108204

Micallef, A, Geldmacher, J, Watt, SFL, Ferrante, GM, Ford, J, Lodolo, E, Civile, D, Hodgetts, AGE, Felgendreher, M, Licari, JG, Hauff, F, Hauff, S, Lang, J, Meredew, K, Portnyagin, M, Timm, C, Berndt, C, Cavallaro, D, Muccini, F & Hoernle, K 2024, 'Submarine volcanism in the Sicilian Channel revisited', Marine Geology, vol. 474, 107342. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2024.107342

Kühn, M, Berndt, C, Watt, SFL, Hornbach, MJ, Krastel, S, Sass, K, Kutterolf, S, Freudenthal, T, Huhn, K, Karstens, J, Schramm, B, Elger, J, Böttner, C & Klaeschen, D 2024, 'Volcanic Flank Collapse, Secondary Sediment Failure and Flow‐Transition: Multi‐Stage Landslide Emplacement Offshore Montserrat, Lesser Antilles', Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, vol. 25, no. 6. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024gc011564

Di Capua, A, De Rosa, R, Kereszturi, G, Le Pera, E, Rosi, M & Watt, SFL 2023, 'From volcanoes to sedimentary systems', Geological Society Special Publication, vol. 520, no. 1, pp. 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1144/SP520-2022-303

Romero, JE, Polacci, M, Arzilli, F, Schipper, CI, La Spina, G, Burton, M, Parada, MA, Norambuena, J, Guevara, A, Watt, S, Moreno, H, Franco, L & Fellowes, J 2023, 'Long-term volcano evolution controlled by lateral collapse at Antuco volcano, southern Andes, Chile', Communications Earth and Environment, vol. 4, no. 1, 292. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00931-1

Satow, C, Watt, S, Cassidy, M, Pyle, D & Deng, YN 2023, 'The Contributions of Marine Sediment Cores to Volcanic Hazard Assessments: Present Examples and Future Perspectives', Geosciences, vol. 13, no. 4, 124. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences13040124

Capua, AD, Rosa, RD, Kereszturi, G, Pera, EL, Rosi, M & Watt, SFL 2023, 'Volcanically-derived deposits and sequences: a unified terminological scheme for application in modern and ancient environments', Geological Society, London, Special Publications, vol. 520, pp. 11-27. https://doi.org/10.1144/SP520-2021-201

Watt, S, Cassidy, M, Cutler, K, Madden-nadeau, A, Engwell, SL, Abdurrachman, M, Nurshal, MEM, Tappin, DR, Carey, S, Novellino, A, Hayer, C, Hunt, JE, Day, S, Grilli, ST, Kurniawan, IA & Kartadinata, N 2022, 'Downward-propagating eruption following vent unloading implies no direct magmatic trigger for the 2018 lateral collapse of Anak Krakatau', Earth and Planetary Science Letters, vol. 578, 117332. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117332

Aubry, T, Farquharson, J, Rowell, C, Watt, S, Pinel, V, Beckett, F, Fasullo, J, Hopcroft, P, Pyle, D, Schmidt, A & Staunton Sykes, J 2022, 'Impact of climate change on volcanic processes: current understanding and future challenges', Bulletin of Volcanology, vol. 84, no. 6, 58, pp. 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-022-01562-8

Hornbach, MJ, Sylvester, J, Hayward, C, Kühn, M, Huhn-Frehers, K, Freudenthal, T, Watt, SFL, Berndt, C, Kutterolf, S, Kuhlmann, J, Sievers, C, Rapp, S, Pallapies, K, Gatter, R & Hoenekopp, L 2021, 'A Hybrid Lister-Outrigger Probe for Rapid Marine Geothermal Gradient Measurement', Earth and Space Science, vol. 8, no. 1, e2020EA001327. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EA001327

Review article

Clare, MA, Yeo, IA, Nash, J, Hunt, JE, Panuve, S, Wilkie, A, Williams, R, Dowey, N, Rowley, P, Barclay, J, Phillips, J, Scarlett, J, Engwell, S, Henstock, TJ, Seabrook, S, Watson, S, Wysoczanski, R, Ribo, M, Cronin, S, Talling, PJ, Cassidy, M, Watt, S & Robertson, R 2025, 'Volcanic eruptions and the global subsea telecommunications network', Bulletin of Volcanology, vol. 87, no. 6, 51. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-025-01832-1

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