2022 Podcasts

Volcanology and How Communities Are Affected By Volcanic Activity | Dr. Bradley Pitcher

Li, Bowei; Hum, Madeleine; Arico-Muendel, Lucia

In this episode of “What is Global Health,” Bowei Li (CC’26) spoke with Dr. Bradley Pitcher from Columbia University on the risks associated with volcanoes. Dr. Pitcher explains the health consequences that volcanoes induce and the tradeoffs that communities make in living near them. He also gives insight into future trends in volcanic activity in relation to climate change.

Dr. Bradley Pitcher is a professor at Columbia University. He is a faculty member of the Frontiers of Science program and a lecturer of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia.
His research specializes in igneous petrology, the study of magmatic rocks. Using imaging techniques, he determines the chemical composition of igneous rocks in order to examine past eruptions and predict future ones. Dr. Pitcher has conducted research in the Oregon Cascades, Mt. Etna, central Japan, and more.