Exploring the links between volcanoes, climate and humans using speleothem records

Reconstruction of past volcanic eruptions using stalagmites, analysing trace and rare earth elements leached from tephra, combining with traditional stable isotope methods to investigate the roles of these eruptions on climate forcing (particularly sites at lower latitudes). Applications of non-traditional methods and elements to reconstruct volcanic signals in speleothems.

Further I will be applying these techniques to palaeo-pollution in speleothems from SE Europe and SE Asia which could be of great archaeological importance. Since anthropogenic heavy metal pollution relies on societal development, Pb pollution could be used as a proxy for civilisational rise and fall. If these data can be linked to those of volcanism, a potential interplay between civilisation, climate and volcanism may be proposed.