Michael Manga
University of California, Berkeley
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Primary Section: 15, Geology Secondary Section: 16, Geophysics Membership Type:
Member
(elected 2018)
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Biosketch
Michael Manga is a geoscientist recognized for his work to understand volcanic eruptions, how earthquakes interact with fluids in the crust, and how internal dynamics of planets shape their surfaces. He was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and grew up in the Canadian capital, Ottawa. His interest in science and research was fostered by the Macoun Field Naturalist Club. He graduated from McGill University with a degree in solid Earth geophysics followed by a PhD form Harvard in Earth and Planetary Sciences. After a postdoc at Berkeley with the Miller Institute, he joined the faculty of Geological Sciences at the University of Oregon. In 2001 he returned to Berkeley where he also served as executive director of the Miller Institute and received the Berkeley campus distinguished teaching award. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
Research Interests
Michael Manga studies the geological processes that shape Earth’s surface. This includes understanding the reasons why planets have volcanoes, why those volcanoes erupt in so many different ways, and how those volcanic eruptions affect climate and other Earth systems. He studies how geological processes affect and are affected by groundwater, including the formation of geysers, the effects of earthquakes on fluid flow in Earth’s crust, and the origin of springs and mud volcanoes. He also studies similar processes on other planets, including the eruption of water on icy satellites in the outer solar system, and deciphering the coupled history of water and volcanism on Mars.
