NH
Natural Hazards

Shreya Arora

Shreya, is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, and a former postdoc of Geological Survey of Japan, Tsukuba. She specializes in active tectonics and paleoseismology. Within the Natural Hazards, she is a Blog Editor/Author and a member of Early career scientists Team.

Breaking the glass ceiling in diversity, equity, and inclusion in geosciences

April 22, 2022
Breaking the glass ceiling in diversity, equity, and inclusion in geosciences
"Having privileges as a consequence of being White does not mean that one has not experienced other forms of oppression, it just means that racism is not one of them" Dutt, 2020

Despite many efforts around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in Science,Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), a noticeable disparity in geosciences still exists. To understand the root cause and steps we can take forward, it was my privilege to talk with Dr Kuheli Dutt, Assistant Dean for DEI at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Before MIT, Dr Dutt was an Assistant ...[Read More]

Should I stay or should I go? Insights from an expert on a career outside academia

October 18, 2021

Trying something new and thinking outside the box is always challenging, both within and outside academia. Exploring alternative paths outside academia can be daunting, but you can also have a great time seizing every opportunity available. To shed a bit of light on this quest, it is my pleasure to interview Dr Alka Tripathy-Lang. Thank you, Alka, for accepting this interview! Alka received her Ph ...[Read More]

Lessons learnt, and to be learnt from the Uttarakhand, Himalaya 2021 catastrophic event.

June 14, 2021
Lessons learnt, and to be learnt from the Uttarakhand, Himalaya 2021 catastrophic event.
Google Earth image showing the location of the Ronti peak glacier, source of the 7th February 2021 landslide-induced flooding event, in Uttarakhand, western Himalaya, India

Rising global temperature and melting of glaciers in the Himalaya are changing the Himalayan cryospheric dynamics and causing a dramatic increase in the frequency and magnitude of the natural and anthropogenic hazards. One such example was the 7th February 2021 Uttarakhand landslide-induced floods, which killed almost 200 people and washed away two hydropower dams, amidst when India was dealing wi ...[Read More]

A look into the life of a volcanologist in Japan, one of the most hazardous countries for volcanoes

December 7, 2020
A look into the life of a volcanologist in Japan, one of the most hazardous countries for volcanoes
Microscopic rock art. Chemical and textural features of olivine (ol) and orthopyroxene (opx) crystals in a lava flow from Ruapehu are revealed in these backscattered electrons (BSE) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) images. On the left, the grayscale intensity reflects the iron and magnesium contents of the minerals (brighter = higher iron (Fe); darker = higher magnesium (Mg)). On the right, unique colours correspond to the different orientations of the crystals in this cluster. Photo Credit: Chris Conway.

In this interview, I talk with Chris Conway about his experience as a volcanologist in Japan, which is one of the countries with the highest volcanic threat in the world. You will read how studying crystals found within erupted lava flows can help hazard mitigation at active volcanoes and how volcanic hazard is managed in Japan.   Hi Chris!! Thank you for accepting this interview, first and foremo ...[Read More]