Betsy (Elizabeth) Friedlander
Lava Dome Growth in Mount St Helens
In between her undergraduate degree and current work as a masters candidate, Betsy taught geology, snow science and winter ecology. While her undergraduate honors thesis focused on experimental work investigating the rheology and welding of pyroclastic material her masters project is the blending of Volcanology and Structural Geology.
Betsy’s research focuses on the mechanisms of strain localization (essentially fault zone) that attended the recent eruption of lava domes in Mount St. Helens, Washington in 2004-2008. Lava domes are degassed, high-viscosity magma that erupts from volcanic vents to produce mounds and spines of partly to fully crystallized magma. Although lava domes are generally products of effusive styles of eruption, these systems have the capacity to rapidly switch to explosive behavior. Volcanoes such as Sufriere Hills in Monserrate and Unzen in Japan have each demonstrated the ability to oscillate between effusive growth of lava domes and the gravitational collapse of these unstable landforms, leading to explosive pyroclastic eruptions. The Mount St. Helens lava domes serve as an outstanding natural laboratory to structurally map and model the mechanisms that attend the style lava dome extrusion.
In addition Betsy is also involved in the experimental research program of CESL (Centre for Experimental Studies of the Lithosphere) in conducting bubble growth experiments in natural obsidian from Krafla, Iceland and investigating the rheology of these dome rocks and other volcanic products such as obsidian glass.
- MSc candidate, graduate spring 2011, Earth and Ocean Sciences Department, University of British Columbia, Canada.
- BA with Honours in Geology, The Geology Department, The Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO, United States.
Betsy loves to spend her time outside of work playing outside and being with people. Whether that is skiing, biking, hiking, kayaking, or just sitting in the grass drinking tea and reading a good book. Betsy also enjoys cooking a great meal with friends, being “crafty and attempting to teach her friends about rocks.
Friedlander, B.A*., Kennedy, L.A., Russell, J.K., Pallister, J. (2010). Mechanisms of Strain Localization within the 2004-2008 Mt. St. Helens lava domes: The role of effusion rate? Presentation (talk) at AGU Fall Meeting 2010.
Friedlander, B.A.*, Kennedy, L.A., Russell, J.K., Pallister, J. (2010). Mount St Helens lava dome growth and associated fault zones: field insights from August 2010. Presentation (talk) at the Canadian Tectonics Group Meeting, Fall 2010.
Friedlander, B.A*. (2007) Deformation mechanisms and Strain Accommodation of Welding in rhyolitic pyroclastic material: An experimental approach. Presentation and honours thesis presented The Colorado College Department of Geology.
Quane, S.*, Friedlander, B.A.*, Robert, G., Lynn, H. (2007). Deformation Timescales of Porous Volcanic Materials, 2007, Poster at AGU, Fall Meet. Abstract V31B-0485. Presentation (poster) AGU Fall Meeting 2008.
Friedlander, B.A.*, Lynn H.B., Robert, G., Siddoway, C., Quane, S., (2007). Experimental Welding of Pyroclastic Deposits. 2007, GSA Cordilleran Section Meet. Paper No. 31-5 Presentation (poster) at GSA Cordilleran section meeting.
