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James White 2019 imagePhD, University of California-Santa Barbara
MS, University of Missouri-Columbia
BS & BA (Geology & Phil/Hist) Texas Christian University

Volcanology

Office: Geology 2n2
Tel +64 3 479 9009
Email james.white@otago.ac.nz

Google Scholar: James D. L. White
ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-2970-711X

Teaching

Research interests

  • Explosive subaqueous and subglacial eruptions
  • Maar-diatreme volcanism
  • Volcanic magma plumbing systems / shallow intrusions
  • Magma-water interaction and fragmentation
  • Experimental Volcanology
  • Primary and secondary volcaniclastic sedimentation

See also the volcanology page

Postgraduate student research opportunities

View available research opportunities

Research-community service

  • Associate Editor, Island Arc (2012–present)
  • Associate Editor, Frontiers in Earth Science (2017–2021)
  • Executive Editor, Bulletin of Volcanology (2010–2017)
  • Editorial Board, Journal of Volcanology and Geotherma Research (1999–2016)

Past postdoctoral researchers

  • Rosie Cole
  • Tobias Dürig
  • Martin Jutzeler
  • Vernon Manville
  • Olivier Reubi

Postgraduate student supervision

PhD – Current

  • Rachael Baxter, Physical and petrological processes of the Ubehebe eruption, Death Valley, USA
  • Wendel Broek, Intrusive rocks of the Waiareka-Deborah volcanic field
  • Michelle Fitzgerald, Lithic fragment populations in a cluster of closely spaced volcanoes in central Hopi Buttes Volcanic Field, Navajo Nation, Arizona
  • Javiera Ruz Ginouves, Analogue modelling of thermal and geometric controls on flow localization in dikes and fissures
  • Ayla Stenning, Geology of the Dunedin Volcano

PhD – Published/Past

  • Rong Zhang (Marco Brenna lead supervisor) Drivers of monogenetic versus polygenetic intraplate volcanism
  • Rosie Cole (2018) Ice-contact volcanism at Tongariro National Park
  • Emanuele Giacalone (2018) Swinburn Volcano
  • Arran Murch (2018) Investigating the fragmentation processes of explosive submarine volcanic eruptions
  • Andrea Verolino (2018) Volcanology project on Surtseyan volcanism
  • Giuseppe Re (Peppe) (2017) Maar diatreme system in Hopi Buttes, Navajo Nation, AZ, USA
  • Carolyn Gorny Origin of Pleistocene lava-hyaloclastite sheets, southeast Iceland
  • Benjamin Moorehouse (2015) Investigating the eruptive processes of shallow-marine volcanoes on the Oligocene continental shelf, east Otago, New Zealand
  • Robin Andrews Investigating the cratering and thermodynamics of the phreatomagmatic 1886 Rotomahana eruption
  • Simone Hicks (RE Fordyce primary supervisor) Ecological and sedimentological evolution of the volcanically active Oligocene continental shelf, east Otago, New Zealand (PhD submitted 2014)
  • Nathalie Lefebvre Volcanology of maar-diatreme volcanic vent complexes, Hopi Buttes Volcanic Field, Arizona, USA (PhD 2013)
  • Andreas Auer Sedimentary Response to Debris Avalanche and Eruption at Mt Ruapehu (PhD 2013)
  • Michael May (withdrawn) The Rotomahana Eruption of 1886: Thermodynamics of a basaltic eruption through an intensely active geothermal system, North Island, New Zealand
  • Rachel Murtagh (2011) An investigation into the explosivity of shallow subaqueous basaltic eruption
  • Giulia Airoldi (2010) Magma injection dynamics in the shallow Ferrar LIP (South Victoria Land, Antarctica)
  • C. Ian Schipper (2009) Explosive Submarine Volcanism at Lō`ihi Seamount, Hawai`i
  • Jean-Baptiste Rosseel. Supervisors JDL White, BF Houghton. Project: Phreatic and phreatomagmatic processes of the 1886 Rotomahana eruption: Destruction of an active hydrothermal system along an eruption fissure (1998-2008; withdrawn)
  • McClintock, M.K.(2006) Evolution of a large volcaniclastic vent complex preceding emplacement of the Karoo flood basalts, Sterkspruit, Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa
  • Finnis, K. (2006) Resilience and vulnerability in communities around Mt Taranaki
  • Ross, P.S. (2005) Volcanology of the Mawson Formation at Coombs and Allan Hills, Victoria Land, Antarctica. Unpublished PhD dissertation
  • Nemeth, K. (2001) Phreatomagmatism at the Waipiata Volcanic Field, Otago, New Zealand. Unpublished PhD dissertation
  • Martin, U. (2000) Eruptions and deposition of volcaniclastic rocks in the Dunedin Volcanic Complex, Otago Peninsula, New Zealand. Unpublished PhD dissertation
  • Segschneider, B. (2000) Resedimentation of the 1.8 ka Taupo ignimbrite in the Hawke's Bay region, North Island, New Zealand. Unpublished PhD Thesis
  • Maicher, D. (1999) Hyaloclastite beds of shelf and seamount: roles of exsolution, entrapment and entrainment Unpublished Phd Thesis

MSc – Current

  • Nicholas Hobiagi, Volcanological analysis of the 2017 ICDP core into Surtsey's diatreme

MSc – Published/Past

  • Rachael Baxter (2019) Investigating dikes at Allans Beach, using geochemistry to gain insight into the magmatic system and initial evoution of the Dunedin Volcanic Complex
  • Jasmine Mawson (2018) Submarine eruptive processes in the Brook Street Terrane
  • Sam Maloney (2016) Maar-diatreme volcanism in central Otago
  • Lewis, Bridgette, (2007). Deposition and compositional characteristics of the Potaka Tephra, Wanganui Basin, North Island, New Zealand
  • Guegan, Emilie, (2006). Magma-supply dynamics of the Ferrar large igneous province, Coombs Hills, Antarctica
  • Schipper, Christopher Ian (2004) Chemical and mineralogical characterization of pyroclastic deposits from the ca. 1 Ma Kidnappers and Rocky Hill eruptions, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand. Unpublished MSc Thesis
  • Marx, Raymond S. (2004) The Rotorua caldera lake: volcanic eruptions and water levels from 220 ka to present Unpublished MSc Thesis
  • Hood Hills, Simone B. (2004) Vent structures preserved in the Mawson Formation, a phreatomagmatic volcanic complex in the Allan Hills, southern Victoria Land, Antarctica. Unpublished MSc Thesis
  • Lockett, Gillian M. (2003) Landslide and debris flow deposits at the margin of a large vent complex, Mawson Formation, Allan Hills, southern Victoria Land, Antarctica. Unpublished MSc Thesis
  • Newton, Erin H. (2002) Resedimentation of the 1800a Taupo Ignimbrite along the Rangitaiki River Catchment, North Island, New Zealand. MSc Thesis
  • von Lichtan, Isabella J. (withdrawn) Flotation and sedimentation of large hot pumice blocks in a refilling caldera lake at the end of the Taupo 1.8 ka eruption
  • McClintock, Murray K.(1999) Phreatomagmatism at Coombs Hills, Antarctica: Magma-water super-volcanism in a wet, failed rift. unpublished MSc Thesis
  • Clarkson, Roger A.(1996) Immediate post-c. 1800a Taupo eruption secondary deposits and shorelines. M.Sc. Thesis

BSc(Hons) – Current

  • Dante Frean, Emplacement of Dunedin Volcanic Group rocks between Dunedin Volcano and the Karitane suite

BSc(Hons) – Published/Past

  • Jasmine Mawson (2017) Paleomagnetic investigations of the Waipiata volcanoes
  • Oliver McLeod (2015)- Structure and origin of mingled magma rock and columnar jointed lava at Puketeraki, Otago
  • Tim Bush-Marcinowski (2014) - Analysis of the petrology of Surtsey basalts
  • Garland, Marama. (2006) Mawson-Ferrar Dolerite relationships, northern East Ridge, Coombs Hills, Antarctica
  • Hardy, Lyndon (2005) Investigation of the Rotomahana Mud and deposits of the Lake Okaro hydrothermal explosions, North Island, New Zealand
  • Dreiberg, Bede J. (1995) Post eruption deposition from the 10 June 1886, Mt Tarawera eruption
  • Townend, John (1995) The Rotomahana Eruption 1886: Heterogeneous interaction between basaltic magma and a geothermal system

Postgraduate Diploma in Science – Published/Past

  • Laurie, Blair (2004) Volcanic architecture of the Harbour Cone-Dicks Hill area, Otago Peninsula, New Zealand

Publication profiles

Publications

Wu, J., Cronin, S., Brenna, M., Paredes-Mariño, J., Park, S.-H., Huebsch, M., … Califano, E., White, J. D. L., … Vaiomounga, R. (2026). What triggered the catastrophic 15 January 2022 Hunga eruption? Earth & Planetary Science Letters, 686, 120041. doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2026.120041 Journal - Research Article

Fujibayashi, N., White, J. D. L., Maruyama, T., Hanma, Y., Kataoka, K., & Arato, H. (2025). Emplacement of submarine jumbled sheet flows and overlying pillow lava flow from the Middle Miocene Ogi Basalt Member, Sado Island, Japan. Bulletin of Volcanology, 87(12), 129. doi: 10.1007/s00445-025-01887-0 Journal - Research Article

Cole, R. P., Gudmundsson, M. T., Jicha, B. R., Óskarsson, B. V., Gallagher, C. R., Högnadóttir, T., … White, J. D. L. (2025). Proximal products of ~ 12 ka silicic explosive-effusive eruptions at Katla volcano: Implications for volcano-glacier interactions and paleoenvironment. Bulletin of Volcanology, 87, 117. doi: 10.1007/s00445-025-01912-2 Journal - Research Article

Zhang, R., Yagolnitzer, Y., Brenna, M., White, J. D. L., Kereszturi, G., Wang, T., & Hemming, S. R. (2025). Spatiotemporal development of diverse magmatic plumbing in long-lived distributed volcanic fields. Bulletin of Volcanology, 87, 70. doi: 10.1007/s00445-025-01859-4 Journal - Research Article

Wu, J., Cronin, S. J., Brenna, M., Park, S.-H., Pontesilli, A., Ukstins, I. A., … White, J. D. L., … Kula, T. (2025). Low sulfur emissions from 2022 Hunga eruption due to seawater-magma interactions. Nature Geoscience. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1038/s41561-025-01691-7 Journal - Research Article

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