Sir Stephen Sparks CBE FRS

Steve Sparks has been a Professor of Geology at the University of Bristol since 1989. His research interests are in volcanology and the applications of fluid mechanics in modelling geological flows and applying statistical methods to the assessment of natural hazards and their attendant risks. He was recipient of the 2015 Vetlesen Prize, regarded as equivalent to the "Nobel Prize"for the earth sciences and received the Royal Medal (Physical Sciences) in 2018. He is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the Natural History Museum. He is a former Chair of the Advisory Committee for Mathematics Education (ACME).

Subject groups

  • Earth and environmental sciences

    Geology, Geophysics, Geochemistry

Awards

  • Bakerian Medal and Lecture

    On 'How volcanoes work'.

  • Royal Medals

    For his contributions to our understanding of volcanoes, including evaluating their risks and mitigating their hazards.

Sir Stephen Sparks CBE FRS
Elected 1988

Credit: The Royal Society