I’ve started asking questions during my microscope heavy petrology labs for when students need a break. First up: best and worst bands? (Criteria up to the individual)

Klaus passed his canine good citizen class today. The first thing he did when he got home was be an out of control menace.

nevermind spanish, some of you have three days to learn how to dance

Making an inferior version of Pele’s hair in the kitchen.

This is how your email finds me because of the massive tephra deposits from episode 41 coating every surface in and around my house in tiny shards of glass.

We can finally share the good news! We are getting nearly a million dollars to upgrade the instrumentation we use to analyze stone tools and conduct volcanic eruption response. hilo.hawaii.edu/chancellor/s...

Tephra fallout in Volcano Village during yesterday’s Episode 41 eruption of #Kilauea.

The highlight of my day was yelling at a tourist who parked near my home to access the eruption via drone. Everyone’s water system is compromised around here and I spent hours helping folks who couldn’t make it home because the road was closed. Unless you are here to help, your ass is in the way.

Took care of community kuleana (responsibility) first, then came to enjoy the fountains

60 seconds of bomb and lapilli sized tephra pelting my room. Instead of capturing video of the fountains, I spent my time driving around and disconnecting the water catchment systems of friends who couldn’t get home before they closed the only road into our town. #Kilauea

Finally, a use for all of the sweaters I’ve knit in the last 5 years. Today we learned how to break down the components of knitwear (stitch variations, colour work patterns, and yarn qualities) as an analogue for how to look at geologic textures, rocks, and minerals.

Microsoft can go to hell trying to cram copilot into every inch of their shitty OS. The only copilot I’m interested in is Klaus.

⚒️🍎🧪🌋 Kamalani Poepoe shares what the Kilauea Volcano means to her as a native Hawaiian. These rocks carry both scientific and cultural significance. Please watch and enjoy this episode with your kids! Teach them to respect and appreciate the natural world around us youtube.com/shorts/UnYZI...

This is Jacob Markoff rocking the stage last night. Jacob already looks every bit the rockstar. Poor guy broke a string during the show but you wouldn’t know it. Carried down without missing a step. #Hawaii #Music

If you hate immigrants, you shouldn’t get to eat their food.

⚒️🍎🌋 Check out this article about Kamalani Poepoe with whom I was blessed to work on our most recent episode. Read about Kama, and then watch our episode! hilo.hawaii.edu/chancellor/s...

Insect descend upon V3. Weird run up to this eruption with a really ominous horseman of the apocalypse plume on my way home yesterday.

I once again am humbled by the kindness of my students in their course evaluations. Saying goodbye to dog and contracting Lyme disease did not set me up for a strong start. They were constructive in their feedback and complementary of parts of my style + presentation I have low confidence with 😭

She’s the doctor who diagnosed me with Lyme disease this summer. She was really fantastic and I credit her proactive treatment plan with saving me from the more prolonged and persistent form of the disease. What an absolute loss for the island.

Kīlauea episode 39 #kilauea

One day something will happen — a wedding, a graduation, a job promotion, Jake Paul getting knocked out, Andrew Tate getting knocked out the next day — and you’ll want the right outfit to celebrate. Buy that special outfit now, so you’re ready when that next unexpected moment arrives.

Why do people behave like this on airplanes? This man had a window seat and still tried to take up my space! Straight to jail for this shit.

Read our paper! I’m no seismologist, but I am a warm body that can help deploy nodes in hostile locations!

One of our @uhhilogeology.bsky.social undergrad students, Lichen Forster, has a poster presentation on work they did for an REU project in Peru using ground penetrating radar! Stop by #1693 this afternoon from 2:15-5:15! #AGU25

Of all the individuals from academic institutions who walked across the stage for last night’s #AGU25 awards ceremony, I think I was the only one from a non-R1. Important work happens outside of big universities, but we often lack the connections and “pedigree” to be nominated or taken seriously.

I still don’t think I’m ready for a new dog, but a new dog was ready for me. Meet Klaus. His first human died and he needed a home that could deal with some persistent skin and ear issues. He’ll be waiting for me at home in Hawai‘i when I get back from AGU.

Just saw the EXCELLENT news that one of my former students, Rocío Caballero-Gill @caballerogill.bsky.social was recognized for her work w/ @geolatinas.bsky.social (& more!) by @geosociety.bsky.social's Bromery Award! www.geosociety.org/GSA/About/aw... Congratulations, Rocío! VERY well deserved! ⚒️

There are so many ways to mentally prepare for conference talks. My brain, without fail, chooses the option of “doom spiral” beforehand. I have come to accept that I will never feel confident about giving talks, regardless of how relaxed my style seems in the moment.

TODAY is the first of two @geolatinas.bsky.social meetups at #AGU25 @agu.org hosted by Lina, Katalina, Tamara, & Ana María, dear leaders in our community 💜👏🏽 Stop by room G114 @11:00 am to connect w/other Latinamerican geoscientists, share opportunities, & importantly, share your story. ALL welcome!

⚒️🍎🧪👩‍🔬🌋 NEW EPISODE ALERT! Tune in at 11:00am ET on Monday December 22nd, 2025 for the premiere of the brand new Episode 83 of Every Rock Has A Story! Share it with kids, parents, and teachers you know! This could be the most explosive episode yet!! youtube.com/shorts/D0qh_...

Are you at #AGU25 and are interested in learning more about out the similarities and differences of the recent eruptions in Hawai‘i? Stop by the posters of our @uhhilogeology.bsky.social undergrads, Lichen and Raymond, tomorrow morning and my talk tomorrow (Tuesday) at 4:45 PM in room 352.

In a fugue state at AGU. Track me down if you need anything or want to meet up.

I haven't found any of the pod meetings listed in the #AGU25 app, so please share that any/all stitchers are invited to Pod 5 on Wednesday morning for a celebration of the fifth Stitch Your Science project. If you have any completed or WIPs, bring them along!

Today we celebrated our graduates, Lichen and Raymond, who are also preparing to attend #AGU2025. We had a walk through of their posters with students and friends of the department. Stop by session V21C on Tuesday morning to see the cool science they’re working on with Kīlauea’s ongoing eruption.

Big Tech has been insidiously infiltrating education for decades and it’s absolutely our jobs as educators to curb the snake oil they are trying to sell our children

RIP V3 camera. #Kilauea

My friend brought me this heirloom chalice as thanks for watching her dog. A collectors item for sure.

Yolo often stands with his little back toes crossed, which I find ridiculously cute! You can see vultures don't have bulky feet and talons built for grasping/carrying like other raptors. Their more chicken-like feet are meant for bracing on food to pull at it with their powerful beaks, instead.

⚒️🍎🧪🌋 Check out the brand new EPIC TRAILER for Every Rock Has A Story in Hawaii. My son made this trailer all by himself... I hope you enjoy it. Please share with parents, teachers, kids and encourage them to take a peek when these new episodes post starting in December! youtu.be/hcLWkOQsCcU

You can download BRAINS for $6 on itch right now! alexandragallant.itch.io/brains

Spending a semester with us is a great option for undergraduate students who study volcanoes but have never seen one erupt. Feel free to reach out with any questions.

I spent part of the morning answering rapid fire questions from high schoolers about the science of body and burial identification using GPR. They were shocked that I was VERY game for the topic and rolled in with some unhinged stories. If that’s what it take to build interest in STEM… cool with me.

I’m sorry that R1 folks are now confronting a research landscape with minimal resources, like those of us at PUIs and non-R status institutions dealing with regularly. Remember this when you see our papers or proposals in review and feel the need to expect work that requires high resource access.

Our @iavcei.bsky.social #VIPS Commission committee is looking for someone to take over my #EDI officer role. Do you want to help diversify our community and make us more inclusive? Apply before 12th December! vipscommission.org/vips-is-look... @egu.eu @agu.org @vmsg.bsky.social

Big brain stuff happening in Hilo. Turns out you shouldn’t drive a backhoe on a pedestrian bridge.

we need a department of kerning

Normally I’d say this is probably light pollution but we don’t have much of that here in Hawai‘i. Maybe I was able to capture the dregs of #aurora with my phone? Certainly nothing visible with the naked eye, I’m skeptical.

No aurora likely visible in Hawai‘i but sometimes my drive home looks like this.

I will report back when I have finished this. I’m glad I chose knitting as my pandemic hobby and not sourdough or fitness.