KAREN FONTIJN
Associate professor

Research interests
I am a physical volcanologist interested in tephrostratigraphic studies of poorly-known volcanoes, in order to constrain past eruptive behaviour. This allows us to assess how the volcano behaves, and changes over time, and which can contribute to volcanic hazard assessment. This type of work is strongly based on detailed field studies and is complemented with geochronological, petrological, geochemical, textural and sedimentological data. Using these combined datasets, we can obtain constraints on frequency-magnitude relationships, eruptive and pre-eruptive parameters, and understand the factors that control the behaviour of volcanoes and individual eruptions, both at a local and regional scale. By integrating terrestrial with lacustrine sediment records, we can furthermore reconstruct high-resolution age models of volcanic activity at a regional scale, which can be used to fine-tune age models of various palaeoenvironmental archives, and also to investigate interactions of volcanic activity and the environment.
In our group, we work on volcanoes in different tectonic settings, from continental rift volcanoes in Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia, to oceanic and continental arc volcanoes in the Philippines, Indonesia and Chile. A better understanding of the volcanic geology and most recent (ca. last 10,000 years) eruptive histories as well as eruptive styles at these volcanoes is a fundamental contribution to volcanic hazard assessment and risk mitigation. We are also interested in understanding the natural resources related to volcanism. Particularly in East Africa many rift volcanoes offer vast geothermal resources that are equally important in the context of sustainable development.
If you are interested in working with me, please get in touch.
Teaching
Bachelor:
- GEOL-F301: Mineralogy
- GEOL-F306: Crystallography and Applied Mineralogy
- CHIM-F207: Crystallochemistry
- GEOL-F312: Research Project and Science Communication
Master:
- GEOL-F4002: Volcanology
- GEOL-F408: Volcanic Terrains – Field trip
Synoptic CV
2020 – Present : Associate professor, Université libre de Bruxelles
2018 – 2020 : Assistant professor, Université libre de Bruxelles
2012 – 2018 : Post-doctoral research associate, University of Oxford
2011 : Research fellow, Earth Observatory of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University
2011 : PhD in Sciences: Geology, Ghent University
2006 : Master of Science: Geology, Ghent University
Publications
For a full and up-to-date publication list, see Google Scholar
Recent and ongoing projects
Pumice Cones
FNRS PDR 2024-2027
Probabilistic volcanic hazard assessment of restless volcanoes in the Northern Main Ethiopian Rift
Collaboration with CSIC Barcelona (ES), Addis Ababa University (ET)
Geosciences teaching exchange
ARES Amorce 2025-2027
Creation of an international teaching exchange programme in geosciences in Central Africa
Collaboration with University of Bertoua (CM), University of Douala (CM), University Marien Ngouabi (CG), University of Bangui (CF)
Rungwe to Tanganyika
FNRS CDR 2022-2024
Long-term tephrostratigraphy and -chronology of the Rungwe Volcanic Province
Collaboration with University of Dar es Salaam (TZ)
VolKenya
FNRS MIS 2020-2023
Volatile controls and eruption history of dormant volcanoes in the Kenyan Rift
Collaboration with Dedan Kemathi University of Technology (KE) and KenGen
Geothermal Calderas in Ethiopia
Fonds Wiener Anspach 2022-2023
Revisiting ages and compositions of active caldera systems in central Ethiopia
Collaboration with University of Oxford (GB) and Addis Ababa University (ET)
Team members
PhD students
- Tabegra Disando – Revisiting the 1982-83 eruption of Galunggung Volcano, Indonesia
- Purity Mwihaki Kamau – Phosphate mineralisation at Mrima Hill Carbonatite, Kenya
- Faysel Sefa Abdu – Volcanic hazard assessment of Dofan-Fentale volcanoes, Ethiopia
Postdoctoral researchers
- Lorenzo Cappelli – Reconstructing eruption dynamics using advanced imaging techniques
Past team members
- Khedoudja Nedjraoui
- Amdemichael Zafu Tadesse
- Paul Wallace
- Robert Constantinescu
- Sam Poppe