Resume

Research Interests

• Volcanic emissions: Study of the composition, magnitude and transport of volcanic gases, ashes and aerosols, and the hazards they pose.
• Physical volcanology: Understanding conduit dynamics of persistent volcanic activity using monitoring methods and numerical modeling.
• Volcano monitoring: long-term observation of volcanic activity using remote sensing methods.
• Spectroscopy (VNIR, TIR, UV) and Imaging techniques: Tools for the characterization of natural surfaces and the observation of active geological processes

Teaching & Mentoring Experience

• Instructor – Northern Arizona University (2018)
  • AST 599: Planetary Analogs Field Course
• Practical Laboratory Coordinator (including development of lab content) online and in-person (2011-2015)
  • GLG 110/111 – “Dangerous World” -– 8 semesters
• Graduate Teaching Assistant – Arizona State University (2008-2010)
  • GLG 420 “Volcanology” – 2 semesters
  • GLG 103 “Introduction to Geology” lab section – 2 semesters
• Undergraduate Research Mentor – Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at NAU
  • Alexander Kling (2019): “Creating a spectral database of volcanic ash samples”
  • Fadwa Al Jaberi (2018): “Mapping pyroclastic deposits on Mars”
• Graduate Research Mentor – Development of a secondary project, NAU
  • Christopher Wolfe (2019): “Development and Validation of a low-cost, weather resistant imaging systemfor volcanic emissions”

Research Experience

Field Experience

• Ground-based measurements of volcanic degassing: participated in >10 and coordinated 3 campaigns (Stromboli, 2019,2015 and Semeru, 2013)
  • Multiple locations around the world: Italy, Indonesia, Guatemala, Columbia
  • Data collection strategies and data analysis
• Sample collection for validation of remotely sensed data
  • Volcanic ash: near-vent fall deposits and in-situ drone sampling
  • Geo-localized natural surfaces for ground-truthing of orbital data
  • Planetary analogues studies

Experience with Laboratory and Field Instruments

• Benchtop TIR Michelson Interferometer for the characterization of natural materials
• Compact UV diffraction spectrometers and narrow FOV telescopes for the detection and quantification of volcanic and anthropogenic gas emissions (DOAS technique)
• Open-Path Fourier Transform Infrared (OP-FTIR) spectrometer for the determination of the composition of volcanic plumes
• Field-ready Hyperspectral TIR imager (TELOPS Hyper-Cam LW)
• SO2 camera: a synchronized dual UV imager with bandpass filters and co-located UV spectrometer for the measurement of volcanic and anthropogenic gas emissions
• Broadband IR cameras (FLIR) for the observation of thermal volcanic features

Experience with Satellite Data

• IASI: IR spectrometer, EUMETSAT, sun-synchronous polar orbit (METOP satellite)
• MSG-SEVIRI: multi-spectral imager, EUMETSAT, geostationary orbit (METEOSAT satellite)
• MODIS: multi-spectral imager, NASA, sun-synchronous polar orbit (Terra and Aqua satellites)
• ASTER: multi-spectral imager, NASA, sun-synchronous polar orbit (Terra satellite)
• OMI: UV imaging spectrometer, NASA, sun-synchronous polar orbit (Aura satellite)
• TIMS: multi-spectral TIR imager, airborne, NASA, deployment by request
• MASTER: airborne ASTER and MODIS simulator, NASA deployment by request

Funding & Awards

Pitching Competition, School of Earth and Space Exploration, ASU ($500)                                         2015

University Graduate Fellowship, School of Earth and Space Exploration, ASU ($11,500)                       2014

Summer PhD Student Research Award, School of Earth and Space Exploration, ASU  ($6.891)             2013

Doctoral Research Grant Program, Arizona Board Of Regents ($5,000)                                             2013

Graduate Research Achievement Award, School of Earth and Space Exploration, ASU ($2,000)             2011

Conference Travel Grant, Graduate and Professional Student Association, ASU (~$1,500 x5)                 2009-13

NSF Travel Grant, Scientific workshop in Pasto, Colombia (~$1,000)                                                 2009

Refereed Publications

Published in peer-reviewed journals

[5]  Smekens, J-F., and Gouhier, M. (2018): Observation of SO2 Degassing at Stromboli Volcano using a Hyperspectral Thermal Infrared Imager. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2018.02.018.

[4]  Smekens, J-F., Clarke, A.B., Burton, M.R., Harijoko, A., and Wibowo, H. (2015): SO₂  emissions at Semeru volcano, Indonesia: characterization and quantification of persistent periodic explosive activity. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 300: 121-128, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2015.01.006.

[3]  Smekens, J-F., Burton, M.R., and Clarke, A.B. (2015): Validation of the SO₂ camera for high temporal and spatial resolution monitoring of SO₂ emissions. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 300: 37-47, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2014.10.014.

[2]  Kern, C., Lübcke, P., Bobrowski, N., Campion, R., Mori, T., Smekens, J-F., Stebel, K., Tamburello, G., Burton, M., Platt, U., and Prata, F. (2015): Inter-comparison of _SO2 camera systems for imaging volcanic gas plumes. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 300: 22-36, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2014.08.026.

[1]  Vanderkluysen, L., Burton, M.R., Clarke, A.B., Hartnett, H.E., and Smekens, J-F. (2014): Composition and flux of explosive gas release at LUSI mud volcano (East Java, Indonesia). G³, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2014gc005275.

Oral presentations

Invited talks

• Drexel University – April 10^th, 2018: ‘Observation of volcanic degassing using ground-based imaging methods’
• University of Oslo – April 6^th, 2017: ‘Observation of volcanic degassing using ground-based imaging methods’
• University of Bristol – May 6^th, 2016: ‘Quantifying passive and explosive degassing using ground-based imaging methods’
• USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory – July 31^st, 2013: ‘New developments in UV imaging techniques and application to volcanological problems’
• Vrije Universiteit van Brussels – January 15^th, 2013: ‘New developments in UV imaging for the monitoring of volcanic SO_2′

Conference and Workshop talks

• Plume Imaging Workshop (Stromboli, Italy) – June 24^th, 2013: ‘New developments in UV imaging for the monitoring of volcanic SO₂’
• AGU Fall Meeting – December 13^th, 2010: ‘SO₂ emissions from persistently active explosive volcanoes: can we estimate their contribution using satellite instruments?’
• Plumes and PDC workshop (Clermont-Ferrand, France) – October 26^th, 2009: ‘Cyclic patterns of SO₂ emissions at Santiaguito volcano, Guatemala, revealed by UV camera measurements’

Selected Conference Abstracts

Smekens, J-F., Sealing, C., Carey, E. Vanderkluysen, L., Carr, B., Marliyani, G. I., Harijoko, A., and Edwards, C. (2018): Contrasting degassing behaviors before and after a shift in eruptive style at Sinabung volcano, Indonesia. AGU Fall Meeting

Smekens, J-F., and Gouhier, M. (2018): Ground-based hyperspectral TIR imaging of volcanic plumes: implementing pixel classification strategies for automated monitoring and data mining. Cities on Volcanoes 10.

Smekens, J-F., Clarke, A.B., and de’Michieli Vitturi, M. (2015): Eruption cycles in a basaltic andesite system: insights from numerical modeling. AGU Fall Meeting.

Smekens, J-F., Burton, M.R., Clarke, A.B., Sawyer, G.M, Harijoko, A., and Wibowo, H. (2014): SO₂ Emissions at Semeru Volcano, Indonesia: Characterization and Quantification of Persistent and Periodic Explosive Activity. AGU Fall Meeting.

Smekens, J-F., and Christensen, P.R. (2011): The effect of weathering and outcrop variability on Thermal Infrared multispectral remote sensing data: a comparative study in Gila Bend, AZ. 42^nd LPSC, 2011.

Community Service

• Moderator of The Collective: a discussion group on matters of diversity and inclusion, NAU: 2018-2019
• President of the Graduate Student Council, School of Earth and Space Exploration, ASU: 2011-2013
• Moderator for the VOLCANO listserv: 2011-2013
• Website manager for the Commission on Explosive Volcanism (CEV) webpage: 2011-2014
• Review panelist for funding programs (NASA)
• Reviewer for scientific journals (J.Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., Rem. Sens., Atmos. Meas. Tech., J. Imaging, Geochem. Cosm. Acta.)
• Chair for topical sessions at scientific meetings (AGU 2012, GSA 2019)

Professional Memberships

• Member of the European Geophysical Union (EGU): 2020-now
• Member of the Geological Society of America (GSA): 2019-now
• Member of the International Association for Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI): 2016-now
• Member of the American Geophysical Union (AGU): 2010-now

International Collaborations

• Arizona State University, USA (Profs. Amanda Clarke and Philip Christensen)
• University of Manchester, UK (Prof. Mike Burton)
• University of Oxford, UK (Profs. Tamsin Mather and David Pyle)
• Laboratoire Magmas et Volcans, Clermont-Ferrand, France (Prof. Mathieu Gouhier)
• Northern Arizona University (Profs. Christopher Edwards and Mark Salvatore)
• Istituto Nazionale de Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Italy (Drs. Mattia de’Michieli Vitturi and Allessandro LaSpina)
• Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia (Profs. Agung Harijoko and Gayatri Marliyani)
• Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA (Prof. Loÿc Vanderkluysen)
• Hawaii Volcano Observatory, USGS (Dr. Brett Carr)
• USGS Astrogeology Center, Flagstaff, USA (Drs. Kristen Bennett and Lauren Edgar)
• NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, USA (Dr. Elizabeth Rampe)
• NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Washington D.C., USA (Dr. Kelsey Young)

Additional Relevant Skills

Scientific Programming

• Labview: Development of acquisition software for UV imaging instrument (GUI, instrument parameterization, synchronization of data acquisition with multiple instruments, organization of the data flow)
• IDL + ENVI: Image processing, spectral analysis, forward modeling
• Matlab: Image processing, spectral analysis, forward modeling, instrument operation
• Fortran 95: Numerical modeling
• Python: Image and signal processing

Petrological and Geochemical Analysis

• Sample preparation: dissolution, dilution
• Microscopy: Optical microscope, Scanning Electron Microscope
• Geochemistry: Electron microprobe, ICP-MS, XRF spectrometer

Language proficiency

• French: native tongue
• English: Excellent written and oral proficiency (fluent)
• Dutch: Moderate written proficiency, low oral proficiency (high school level as a second language)