Professor Victoria C. Smith

Research Profile

Research Activities

I am a specialist in volcanology and the characterisation of volcanic ash (tephra) layers to date and correlate sedimentary records. My current research focusses on building detailed records of the composition of explosive volcanism across the globe such that ash layers can be used for far-reaching chronology in both space and time. I am particularly interested in the frequency, size and impact of large eruptions, and the magmatic processes in the lead up to these events. I am currently working on collaborative projects in Mexico, Italy, Japan, Azores and Canary Islands (see links below). I head the Tephrochronology Research Group and manage the facilities to chemically characterise the volcanic deposits (electron microprobe) and a laboratory to identify non-visible ash layers (cryptotephra).


Links

Publications
Teaching

MSc Archaeological Science teaching on tephrochronology

Doctoral Supervision

I am happy to supervise on tephrochronology, tephrostratigraphy, volcanic geology, and using tephra layers to provide chronology for archaeological and palaeonvironmental sequences.

Current students

A tale of two continents: refining the tephrostratigraphies for two volcanic regions; Campania, Italy and Lake Suigetsu, central Japan
Sophie Vineberg | Environmental Research (NERC DTP) - Archaeological Science | Supervisors: Victoria Smith and Paul Albert

Past students

Establishing a detailed tephrochronological framework for Japan to aid the synchronisation of palaeoenvironmental records across the Asian/Pacific region
Danielle McLean (2019) ORA | Environmental Research (NERC DTP) - Archaeological Science | Supervisors: Victoria Smith and Paul Albert
Assessing the composition and timing of Late Quaternary volcanic eruptions in southern South America using tephra layers from lacustrine and peat sequences
Rebecca Smith (2019) ORA | Environmental Research (NERC DTP) - Archaeological Science | Supervisors: Victoria Smith, Karen Fontijn and Stefan Wastegard
Tephrochronology as a tool for assessing the synchronicity of Middle Palaeolithic and Upper Palaeolithic techno-complexes in the Caucasus
Victoria Cullen (2015) ORA | DPhil Archaeological Science | Supervisor: Victoria Smith

Key words: chronology, resilience, archives, earlier prehistory, later prehistory, E Asia, Europe, Eurasia, Americas