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Gernon obtained his B.Sc. (Hons) in geology from University College Dublin, and obtained a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from the University of Bristol (with Prof Sir Steve Sparks). He held postdoctoral positions at the University of Bristol from 2007-2008 where he worked on the geology of the Snap Lake kimberlite, Arctic Canada. After a period as Lecturer in Geology at Trinity College Dublin (2008 to 2009), he joined the University of Southampton as Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Earth Science, and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2016, and Professor in 2023. He was named a Turing Fellow in 2018, and again in 2021. He has led or co-authored over 80 peer reviewed papers in international scientific journals including Nature and Science and has delivered over 60 lectures at international conferences, workshops, seminars and public talks.

Education 

2004 - 2008

Ph.D. Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, United Kingdom

Thesis: Fluidisation and emplacement processes in kimberlite eruptions

Advisor: Prof Sir Steve Sparks FRS CBE

2000 - 2004

B.Sc. (Hons.) Geology (First Class), University College Dublin, Ireland

Thesis: The solid geology of the Kilbride Peninsula, Co Mayo

Advisor: Prof J Stephen Daly

Appointments

2023 -

2016 - 2023

2009 - 2016

2008 - 2009

2007 - 2008

Professor in Earth Science, University of Southampton

Associate Professor in Earth Science, University of Southampton

Lecturer in Earth Science, University of Southampton

Lecturer in Geology, Trinity College Dublin

Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Bristol

Project: Geology of the Snap Lake Diamond Mine, NWT, Arctic Canada

gernon-tenerife-volcano_edited.jpg

Honors & Awards 

2018

Fellow of the Alan Turing Institute (re-elected 2021)

2010

2004

President’s Award, Geological Society of London

Cunningham Prize, Geological Survey of Ireland

2000

Alumni Prize, 12th EU Content for Young Scientists;

Young Scientist of the Year, Ireland

Teaching experience

2008 -

2010 -

Elected Fellow, UK Higher Education Academy

Southampton undergraduate teaching: Structural Geology (coordinator), Volcanic and Mantle Processes (lecturer and fieldtrip co-leader), and Independent Mapping (coordinator). During the Covid-19 pandemic, I developed an interactive online course on physical volcanology, and coordinated an innovative hybrid geospatial mapping exercise for our undergraduate students to give them the best possible experience. I have also contributed to teaching Dynamic Earth, Earth Materials, Geohazards & Earth Resources, and Advanced geological field skills (coordinator).

2008 - 2009

Trinity College Dublin undergraduate teaching: Global Igneous Petrology, Geochemistry (coordinator), Field Geology (coordinator) and Broad Curriculum Geology (coordinator)

Professional service

2020 -

2019 -

2017 -

2010 -

2013 - 2016

2007 -

Member, NERC Peer Review College

Academic Advisory Board member, Web Science Institute, UoS, UK.

Proposal Reviewer, The Royal Society, NERC.

PhD thesis examiner for: The University of Oxford (external, 2019), Birkbeck, University of London (external, 2017), and the University of Southampton (five as internal examiner).
 

External panelist for B.Sc. geology revalidation, University of South Wales.

Manuscript Reviewer for: Science Advances, Nature Geoscience, Journal of Geophysical Research, Elements, Geology, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Lithos, Bulletin of Volcanology, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, and Geological Society of India.

Field experience

2010 - 22

Tenerife, Canary Islands (Co-leader annual undergraduate field-course)

2014 - 18

 Aliaga, Aragón, Spain (mapping supervision)

2016

2015

2013

2011

2009

2008 - 09

2009 - 12

2008

2007 - 08

2016

2006

2006

2005

2005

2004 - 06

2004

2000 - 04

Neoproterozoic geology of the Flinders Ranges and Arkaroola, South Australia

Field volcanology and sampling, Boset-Bericha Volcanic Complex, Ethiopia

Sampling at the IODP Kochi Core Repository, Japan

South Soufrière Hills, Montserrat volcano, West Indies

Sampling at the IODP Bremen Core Repository, University of Bremen

Volcanic geology of Elie Ness, East Fife, Scotland

Betic Cordillera, Almería province, SE Spain (Co-leader undergraduate field-course)

Ardnamurchan, Scotland (mapping supervision)

Snap Lake Diamond Mine, Northwest Territories, Arctic Canada

Letseng Diamond Mine, Mokhotlong district, Kingdom of Lesotho

Volcanic geology of south-central Utah

Fort à la Corne kimberlite field, Saskatchewan, Canada

Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides, Scotland

Kamchatka Peninsula (Bakening Volcano), Far Eastern Siberia, Russian Federation

Venetia kimberlite, Limpopo province, South Africa, and the Jwaneng and Orapa kimberlites, Republic of Botswana

The volcanic geology of Santorini, Greece

South Mayo Trough, Irish Carboniferous Basins, Bristol Channel & Wessex–Weald Basins, and Betic Corilleras of southern Spain

Selected invited presentations

2024

Invited Speaker at American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, Washington DC

2024

Invited Speaker at Sonic Storytelling Workshop, Faculty of Music, University of Oxford

2021

Invited Speaker at Institute of Mathematics (IOM) conference, UK

2021

Invited Seminar, ‘The role of volcanism in shaping Neoproterozoic snowball Earth’, VMSG, UK

2019

Invited Seminar, ‘Snowball Earth and the Moon's craters’, Natural History Museum, London

2018

Invited Seminar, ‘Volcanism on Snowball Earth’, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford

2017

Invited Keynote Speaker at Goldschmidt geochemistry conference, Paris

2016

Invited Keynote Speaker at the Sprigg Symposium, Australian Earth Science Convention

2016

Speaker at the Earth's Uninterrupted Habitability conference, Geological Society of London

2014

Invited Keynote Speaker at the Mineral Deposits Studies Group Meeting, Geol. Soc. London

2014

‘Volcanic venting in alkaline eruptions’, Speaker, European Geosciences Union, General Assembly

2011

‘Kimberlite volcanology’, Invited Lecturer, International Diamond School, UCL/Padua, Italian Alps

2009

‘Volcanism’, Guest Speaker to schools, Royal Dublin Society (RDS Lecture Bursary)

2008

‘Fluidization in volcanic conduits’, Speaker, International Kimberlite Conference, Saskatoon, Canada

Download short CV (pdf)

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