​Geological Survey Ireland held another successful event for the public in Christchurch Cathedral as part of European Researchers' Night 2018. This year we had a sell-out event with three short talks on the topic of volcanoes and tsunami hazards and their impact on Ireland. Two of the speakers were Fulbright-GSI scholars last year, with Prof Nancy Riggs visiting Trinity College Dublin from Northern Arizona University, and Dr Aggeliki Georgiopoulou from UCD visiting the US Geological Survey, Woods Hole, Massachusetts.  

Prof Riggs presented the history of volcanic activity in Ireland and how we can learn about current and potentially future events from past eruptions. Dr Georgiopoulou discussed tsunami hazards and the potential for a tsunami to occur off the west coast of Ireland due to submarine landslides and/or distant events in the Atlantic. 

Dr Brian McConnell, Senior Geologist with GSI, showed us how recent research in understanding and modelling volcano and tsunami phenomena feeds into the work of GSI and our national planning and emergency response strategies. Interestingly, during the presentations, information was emerging from Indonesia about the earthquake and associated tsunami; it is now thought that landslides triggered by the earthquake (similar to those described by Dr Georgiopoulou) may have contributed to the scale of the destruction seen.  

The three talks were rounded off with an interesting questions and answers session followed by some refreshments and an opportunity for guests to talk to the speakers.    

Many thanks to those who attended and to the speakers for their contribution and we look forward to another successful Researchers' Night in 2019. If you would like to join our mailing list to keep up to date on similar upcoming events please see our contact page.