Professor Jan Lindsay
Position: Professor, Te Kura Mātai Taiao | School of Environment in Te Whare Pūtaiao | Faculty of Science, The University of Auckland.
Field: Volcanology, volcanic hazard and risk.
Professor Jan Lindsay holds an MSc in Geology from the University of Auckland and a PhD in Geosciences from the University of Giessen in Germany. She has over 15 years’ experience teaching about and working on volcanoes in New Zealand, South America and the Eastern Caribbean.
Eldfell volcano
Jan stands atop the Eldfell volcano above the township of Vestmannaeyjar on the Icelandic island of Heimaey. Eldfell, which means ‘fire mountain’, last erupted in 1973.
Since 2006 Jan has worked in the Faculty of Science at the University of Auckland, including as Associate Dean of Science (Research) between 2018 and 2024. When she was promoted to Professor in 2020, she became New Zealand’s first woman Professor in Volcanology.
Her focus is on building the university's capability in volcanic hazards-related research, particularly in the Auckland area, supporting research in both Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world.
She was formerly the Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Applied Volcanology (2018–2024) and has held various roles with the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI).
Preparing a volcanic sample
Dr Jan Lindsay prepares a volcanic sample for carbon dating. Dr Lindsay is a volcanologist in the School of Environmental Science at The University of Auckland.
Jan studies all aspects of volcanoes, including the origin of their magmas, the deposits they generate and the hazards they pose. Her main areas of research and interest are the evaluation and communication of volcanic hazards, particularly in the Auckland volcanic field, the geology and hazards of volcanoes of the Eastern Caribbean and the volcanology of large calderas found in the Central Andes of South America.
In Aotearoa, Jan has co-led the Determining Volcanic Risk in Auckland (DEVORA) research programme since 2008 and was a co-lead for the Urban Theme of the MBIE-funded Resilience to Nature’s Challenges National Science Challenge (2019–2024). In addition to these positions, since 2012 she has been a member of the New Zealand Volcano Science Advisory Panel and was President of the Geological Society of New Zealand.
DEVORA
Dr Jan Lindsay describes the DEVORA research programme – DEtermining VOlcanic Risk in Auckland. We learn about what the scientists are studying to try and determine what, when and how the next volcanic eruption might occur.
Select here for the video transcript and copyright information.
Outside of Aotearoa Jan's work has included co-lead of a large project on determining volcanic risk in Saudi Arabia (VORiSA) and whilst at the Seismic Research Centre in Trinidad, she was involved in the monitoring and hazard assessment of the volcanoes of the Lesser Antilles.
Outside of work, Jan enjoys pilates, reading, camping, kayaking, and learning te reo Māori.
Related content
New Zealand volcanoes highlights the different types of volcanoes found in New Zealand and includes an interactive volcano map with images and geographic locations. Explore the Auckland Volcanic Field in this interactive image map.
Find out more about the Determining Volcanic Risk in Auckland (DEVORA) research programme.
Realistic contexts connect students to authentic scientific processes and purposes. It’s all explained in Volcanoes resources – planning pathways.
Investigating volcanoes – introduction curates many of our volcano resources, including a range of activities.
On shaky ground – introduction curates volcano and earthquake resources for younger learners.
5-Minute Volcano is an active, collaborative board game about natural disaster preparedness.
Useful links
For a more in-depth look at Dr Lindsay's work with DEVORA and the Auckland volcanic field read this 2015 New Zealand Geographic article, The Fire Beneath.
See Jan's profile on the University of Auckland website. In Take 10 with... Jan Lindsay she discusses her research into making society more resilient to volcanic hazards through improving understanding of the processes occurring at and beneath volcanoes.
This article is based on information current in 2010, 2020 and updated in 2026.
