Gernon
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
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)
