Meet Thomas
Kia ora. Ko Thomas Stolberger tōku ingoa. My name is Thomas Stolberger, and I'm a geologist at the University of Auckland, and a research assistant for DEtermining VOlcanic Risk in Auckland or the DEVORA programme.
I first became interested in geology when I was a young child, and my parents took me around the different volcanic maunga of the Auckland Volcanic Fields. And I started exploring and learning more about the geology in the world around us. As I got older and went through school, I kept my passion alive, stayed interested in geology, and now I'm at the University studying a PhD. And so for that, I am looking at ancient environments using fossils and rocks in South Auckland.
I'd say for people who are interested in geology, the best way to get into it is to be interested in the world around you; to show a passion for those kinds of things. If you're at school, subjects like geography, and some of the sciences will help you get through that as well. Keep being curious and passionate is probably the best thing you can do.
Meet Annahlise
Kia ora. My name is Annahlise, and I am a volcanologist from the University of Auckland. And I study volcanoes in Tonga. I am also the outreach coordinator for DEtermining VOlcanic Risk in Auckland, otherwise known as DEVORA. And I get the cool job of going out and teaching the public about volcanoes and doing some cool eruption demonstrations.
The reason I got into volcanoes was actually based on where I grew up. So I grew up in Taupō, and I was surrounded by heaps and heaps of volcanoes. And it wasn't until I took geography in school and we went on cool field trips that I was like, that is the job for me, and the job I want to go to university to study for.
I have the best job in the world. I get to travel everywhere and see cool rocks and collect cool fossils. So if you love the outdoors, just like me, and you want to learn more about the world around you, you might want to be a volcanologist too.
Meet Kelvin Tapuke
Kia ora tātou, ngā mihi anō e te hunga mātaki nei. Kelvin Tapuke taku ingoa, ā, nō roto au i ngā iwi, ā, huri noa mai i Te Waipounamu, ā, tae atu ki Taranaki, ki runga o Tāmaki Makaurau, Te Tai Rāwhiti, Mātaatua, ā, Wharekauri. Mihi kau atu ki a koutou i tēnei o ngā wā.
My name’s Kelvin Tapuke. I am from Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki on our Maxwell’s side. Active member within Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki or Ngāti Tai in helping in the restoration of our footprints.
And our activities both supporting what we're trying to do on the marae and for our iwi, so we can create a better future. The work that we've been doing with various research parts, really is from an educational point of view, both for Māori medium and for mainstream, to try and create agency in placement of our tūrangawaewae.
Tūrangawaewae really is your place of standing within your own lands. So really helping that to come forward.
So, ngā mihi anō ki a koutou, e mātakitaki mai, e whakarongo mai ki tēnei mangumangu taepō nei, heoi anō rā, mihi atu ki a koutou.
Tēnā koutou katoa.
Meet Graham
Kia ora. Ko Graham Leonard taku ingoa. I'm a volcanologist at GNS Science. And that involves travelling all over New Zealand and sometimes around the world in the South Pacific, studying volcanoes. My specialty is in understanding the life history of volcanoes. What the different rocks you see at a volcano mean, where they came from, what kind of eruption drove them, and when they happened in the past. So we can better understand what might happen in the future.
I got into this by trying to understand how many different things worked at university. I didn't think I'd be a volcanologist or even a geologist. I studied engineering. I studied biology. I studied forestry. And I took geography as well as geology. And I realised after a couple of years I thought, actually, you know what, I'd like to understand how the Earth works first. And so I got into geology, and I realised that the Earth, when it started out, was a ball of magma, and then it crusted over. So actually, everything, including us, ourselves, we're all made out of magma in the first place. And I've stuck with magma and volcanology ever since.
Meet Angela
Kia ora koutou. Ko Angela Doherty tōku ingoa. I'm the Principal Science Advisor for Auckland Emergency Management. In my role, I work with scientists to really understand the types of hazards that could impact our community, and then work with our group to create plans and prepare them for how they would respond in an emergency.
I'm actually a volcanologist by education, so I really love this job because it allows me to still work in science and work with volcanoes, but also serve our communities and prepare them for dangerous and damaging situations and how they would respond.
Meet Hannah
Kia ora. I'm Hannah Martin, and I'm an earthquake geologist. Currently, I'm working for DEVORA as a research assistant, looking at Auckland's baseline seismicity. So we can distinguish earthquakes of concern, from magma moving around the crust, from those normally happening in [the] Auckland region.
My favourite part about my role is all the travel I get to do around New Zealand and soon globally; and also opportunities like this, chatting to you guys.
I don't really know what got me into geology. I didn't really know what I wanted to do when I went to university, and I ended up taking a geology paper and absolutely loving it. So I've been here ever since.
