Emeritus Prof Raymond Cas - Researcher 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.