Jonathan Blundy uses methods drawn from physics, geology and geochemistry to address the fundamental problem of how volcanoes work. He conducts research into the generation, movement and evolution of magma within the Earth. Jonathan is particularly interested in the destructive plate boundaries that host many of the world’s most explosive volcanoes.

The breadth of his work is impressive, ranging from field studies of granite and volcanic rock to determining the oxidation state of the Earth’s mantle. His research into the pressure–temperature paths followed by magmas as they ascend from beneath volcanoes has cast important new light on the evolution of magmas immediately before major eruptions.

Jonathan’s research has taken him to the sites of active volcanoes in the United States, Mexico, the Lesser Antilles and Ethiopia, amongst other places. He has received a number of awards, including the 1997 F.W. Clarke Medal of the Geochemical Society and the 2005 Bigsby Medal of the Geological Society of London.