2026 Speakers Series: Dan Fornari

About 2026 Speakers Series: Dan Fornari...
Daniel Fornari, Emeritus Research Scholar - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)
Earth's interior is a furnace. The magma, or melted rock, in Earth's mantle rises to the planet's surface at volcanoes, which depending on their location can be modestly 'well-behaved' or can erupt explosively. When magma erupts on land or in the deep-ocean, lava comes into contact with Earth's atmosphere or near-freezing sea water the lava chills instantly forming volcanic glass.
This lecture will present the current state of knowledge about deep-sea volcanic glass. You'll learn about 21st century oceanographic technologies used discover how the ocean crust forms at mid-ocean ridges and why volcanic glass gives us important clues about the geochemical composition of deep sea lava flows.
Find out how deep-sea volcanic glass inspires artists and scientists alike, and the collaboration with Josh Simpon and his hand-blown "Planets" that were seeded at the bottom of the ocean using the Alvin submarine. The lecture will be richly illustrated with high-resolution imagery from camera systems developed at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Dan Fornari is a marine geologist with 55 years of experience leading oceanographic expeditions and specializing in research on deep-sea volcanism and hydrothermal processes at mid-ocean ridges. He also develops state-of-the-art deep-sea imaging systems used for a wide range of deep-ocean studies.
Tickets are free with museum admission!