Peter Francis
Encyclopedia
Peter William Francis was a British volcanologist
specialising in the study of active volcano
es on both the Earth and other planets in our solar system. He was also renowned for his ability as a communicator, reaching the general public in a series of popular and acclaimed books on his subject.
He was born in 1944 in Mufulira
, Zambia
, and studied geology at both degree and PhD level at Imperial College London
. His doctoral thesis was concerned with the structural geology
of the Hebrides
, Scotland
. This was followed by fieldwork in the central Andes of northern Chile
, a region with which his name would become synonymous in later years.
Recruited to the Open University
in 1971, he continued his fieldwork in the Andes, and complemented this with image analysis using Landsat images which were becoming available in the early-1970's. This work enabled him and co-workers to recognise many large volcanic features in the central Andes, including debris avalanche deposits from multiple volcanic edifices. One prominent example is the almost perfectly preserved deposit at Socompa
Volcano, Chile.
The imagery also revealed several larger structures on the Andean altiplano
, which proved to be a series of large caldera
s. These included the large La Pacana
and Cerro Galan calderas. Fieldwork in 1982 at Cerro Galan, in the remote northwest of Argentina, which involved the support of both UK
and Argentine
armed forces, was the last co-operation between the two countries before the Falkland Islands / Las Malvinas conflict
later that year.
Spells at the Lunar and Planetary Institute
, Houston, Texas, and subsequently as a Visiting Professor in the Planetary Geosciences Division of the University of Hawaii
, Manoa, Hawaii, were followed in 1991 by a return to the Open University, where he was Director of Teaching from 1996 and Professor of Volcanology from 1998.
His drive to promote the science of volcanology led to the publication in 1976 of his highly-successful Penguin book Volcanoes, which was followed in 1993 by Volcanoes: a Planetary perspective. These books brought volcanology to a far wider audience than previous works aimed at the scientific community.
Peter Francis died after suffering a sudden heart-attack on 30 October 1999, while in Paris with his wife Mary.
Volcanologist
A volcanologist is a person who studies the formation of volcanoes, and their current and historic eruptions. Volcanologists frequently visit volcanoes, especially active ones, to observe volcanic eruptions, collect eruptive products including tephra , rock and lava samples...
specialising in the study of active volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
es on both the Earth and other planets in our solar system. He was also renowned for his ability as a communicator, reaching the general public in a series of popular and acclaimed books on his subject.
He was born in 1944 in Mufulira
Mufulira
Mufulira is a town in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. It grew up in the 1930s around the site of the Mufulira Copper Mine on its north-western edge...
, Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
, and studied geology at both degree and PhD level at Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
. His doctoral thesis was concerned with the structural geology
Structural geology
Structural geology is the study of the three-dimensional distribution of rock units with respect to their deformational histories. The primary goal of structural geology is to use measurements of present-day rock geometries to uncover information about the history of deformation in the rocks, and...
of the Hebrides
Hebrides
The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. There are two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides. These islands have a long history of occupation dating back to the Mesolithic and the culture of the residents has been affected by the successive...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. This was followed by fieldwork in the central Andes of northern Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, a region with which his name would become synonymous in later years.
Recruited to the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
in 1971, he continued his fieldwork in the Andes, and complemented this with image analysis using Landsat images which were becoming available in the early-1970's. This work enabled him and co-workers to recognise many large volcanic features in the central Andes, including debris avalanche deposits from multiple volcanic edifices. One prominent example is the almost perfectly preserved deposit at Socompa
Socompa
Socompa is a large complex stratovolcano at the border of Argentina and Chile. It is best known for its large debris avalanche deposit, which is widely accepted as the best-preserved example of this type of deposit in the world, and also notable as the home of the world's most elevated known...
Volcano, Chile.
The imagery also revealed several larger structures on the Andean altiplano
Altiplano
The Altiplano , in west-central South America, where the Andes are at their widest, is the most extensive area of high plateau on Earth outside of Tibet...
, which proved to be a series of large caldera
Caldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
s. These included the large La Pacana
Pacana Caldera
La Pacana Caldera is the most important caldera of the La Pacana Complex in the Antofagasta Region, northern of Chile, East of the Salar de Atacama. The La Pacana Complex belongs to the Altiplano-Puna Volcanic Complex...
and Cerro Galan calderas. Fieldwork in 1982 at Cerro Galan, in the remote northwest of Argentina, which involved the support of both UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
armed forces, was the last co-operation between the two countries before the Falkland Islands / Las Malvinas conflict
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
later that year.
Spells at the Lunar and Planetary Institute
Lunar and Planetary Institute
The Lunar and Planetary Institute is a scientific research institute dedicated to study of the solar system, its formation, evolution, and current state. The Institute is part of the Universities Space Research Association and is supported by the Science Mission Directorate of the National...
, Houston, Texas, and subsequently as a Visiting Professor in the Planetary Geosciences Division of the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
, Manoa, Hawaii, were followed in 1991 by a return to the Open University, where he was Director of Teaching from 1996 and Professor of Volcanology from 1998.
His drive to promote the science of volcanology led to the publication in 1976 of his highly-successful Penguin book Volcanoes, which was followed in 1993 by Volcanoes: a Planetary perspective. These books brought volcanology to a far wider audience than previous works aimed at the scientific community.
Peter Francis died after suffering a sudden heart-attack on 30 October 1999, while in Paris with his wife Mary.