Associate Professor in Volcanology and Geochemistry, Macquarie University
Heather Handley obtained a 1st class BSc (Honours) in Geology from Edinburgh University in 2001 and then went on to undertake a PhD on the geochemistry of Indonesian volcanoes at Durham University in the UK.
She was awarded and Ogden Trust Teaching Fellowship in 2005 to work for a year with high school students and their teachers to raise the scientific awareness and aspirations of pupils.
She joined Macquarie University in 2007 as a Post-doctoral Researcher to investigate the timescales of volcanic processes in Vanuatu and the Galapágos Islands.
In 2009, Heather started to work on a new, exciting, yet challenging application of Uranium-series isotopes to constrain sediment weathering and residence timescales within the landscape.
In 2012, Heather received an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship to further develop our understanding of the use of Uranium-series isotopes in the determination of the timescales of a range of Earth-system processes. The outcomes of this research will benefit volcanic hazard mitigation policy and also provide crucial knowledge on the rates of the effects of climate change in the landscape.
Recently Heather's research interests have expanded into environmental land and water contamination.
Apr 06, 2023 07:14 am UTC| Science
Before humans started heating the planet by burning fossil fuels in the 19th century, Earth had experienced centuries-long widespread cool period known as the Little Ice Age. Scientists believe this cold spell may have...
Would an eruption in Melbourne really match Hawaii's volcanoes? Here's the evidence
Aug 28, 2018 12:58 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature
Spectacular images of recent volcanic eruptions in Hawaii are a little disheartening especially given news reports suggesting there is a sleeping volcano under Melbourne that could awaken and erupt at any...
From Kilauea to Fuego: three things you should know about volcano risk
Jun 06, 2018 23:22 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature
Recent photographs and video from the devastating eruption of Fuego volcano in Guatemala show people stood watching and filming hot, cloud-like flows of gas, ash and volcanic material (known as pyroclastic flows)...