Emeritus Professor Ray A.F. Cas

Research Profile

Ray Cas is an Emeritus Professor in the School of Geosciences at Monash University. He is an internationally well known expert in the field of physical volcanology, including understanding explosive and effusive eruption processes, transportation and dispersal processes of erupted products, the hazards posed by volcanic eruptions, and the natural resources that are produced by volcanoes.

He and his research team of postdoctoral research fellows and research students undertake research in many modern volcanic provinces overseas, including Japan, New Zealand, Italy, Canary Islands (Spain, in the Atlantic Ocean), Azores Islands (Portugal, in the mid-Atlantic Ocean), the Andes (northwest Argentina), as well as the still active Newer Volcanics Province of Western Victoria and South Australia.

In addition, the Monash Volcanology Research Group (MONVOLC), undertakes collaborative research with the mining industry, helping companies to develop a better understanding of the origin and characteristics of the volcanic host rock successions to a variety of mineral deposits, including gold, nickel, base metals (Cu, Pb, Zn) and diamonds. This research has involved fieldwork all over Australia, Canada, South Africa and Botswana.

Ray presents an annual week-long industry shortcourse on volcanic processes, titled "Volcanic Processes, Products, Successions and Resources". This course has been presented annually in Australia since 1982, and has also been presented by invitation overseas in Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Canada, and Brazil. Over 1,000 geoscientists and research students have taken this course.

Ray was elected President of the International Association for Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI), the major international learned society for volcanology, in 2011 for a 4-year term from 2011 – 2015. He regularly speaks publically and gives media interviews on all aspects related to volcanology.

Research in Physical Volcanology

The research group in Physical Volcanology is a vibrant group, including academic staff, postdoctoral research fellows, postgraduate students and honours students. Research is being undertaken in both modern and ancient volcanic terrains, and involving both pure research as well as research in collaboration with the minerals industry in Australia and Canada. Project areas include Australia, Argentina (Andes), New Zealand, Italy, Tenerife (Spain), Canada, and the Arores, Portugal.

Current research in physical volcanology includes:

Explosive volcanism:

• Eruption, transportation and depositional behaviour of pyroclastic flows
  
• Eruption, fragmentation and infilling processes of diamond bearing kimberlite pipes
  
• Understanding the factors influencing phreatomagmatic eruptions in monogenetic, intra-plate volcanic settings

Effusive volcanism:

• Textural characteristics and facies architecture of lavas and their flow behaviour

Volcaniclastic sedimentation in subaerial and submarine volcanic environments:

• Transformations from primary volcanic to secondary surface processes in volcanic environments

Host rock geology of volcanic hosted mineral deposits, including:

• kimberlites and lamproites
  
• komatiites
  
• VMS deposits
  
• Porphyry and epithermal systems
  
• Volcanic hosted orogenic gold deposits
  
• Breccia pipes
  
  Enquiries from prospective postgraduate (PhD and Masters) and honours students with strong academic records are welcome, as well as from potential postdoctoral research fellows. Specific ideas for research projects can be discussed individually. Please contact: Prof. Ray Cas

Collaborative research with researchers from other institutions, industry and government organizations is a common feature of our research projects.

Examples

Examples of current research projects (pdf 277kb)