Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Bolivia

What’s up in Bolivia?

James Hickey is a PhD student in the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol. A geophysicist and volcanologist by trade, his PhD project is focussed on attempting to place constraints on volcanic unrest using integrated geodetic modelling.

To many, Bolivia is just an unassuming landlocked country in South America, perhaps most famous for its coca tea obsession and ‘gap yah’ alpaca wool sweaters. But to a number of enthused volcanologists it is a near-perfect playground. In the southwest of the country, sitting at 6008 m above sea level (ASL), Uturuncu volcano is inflating, and inflating over an unprecedented scale.

Uturuncu Volcano in the background with a gravimeter and campaign GPS setup in front. Image credit: James Hickey.

Uturuncu Volcano in the background with a gravimeter and campaign GPS setup in front. Image credit: James Hickey.

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