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Earth Science
UK
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Earth Science

D-Index
135
Citations
53881
World Ranking
19
National Ranking
2

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Earth Science in United Kingdom Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Earth Science in United Kingdom Leader Award
  • 2022 - Research.com Earth Science in United Kingdom Leader Award
  • 2012 - Member of Academia Europaea
  • 1998 - Fellow of American Geophysical Union (AGU)

Overview

R. S. J. Sparks is affiliated with the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. Their research primarily spans Earth and Planetary Sciences, with a focus on subfields that include Geophysics, Atmospheric Science, Modeling and Simulation, Infectious Diseases, and Clinical Psychology.

The scientist has contributed to studies on a variety of main topics, such as:

  • earthquake and tectonic studies
  • Geological and Geochemical Analysis
  • Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
  • High-pressure geophysics and materials
  • COVID-19 epidemiological studies
  • Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research
  • COVID-19 and Mental Health

R. S. J. Sparks has published frequently in venues including:

  • Bulletin of Volcanology
  • Geological Society London Special Publications
  • Royal Society Open Science
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
  • Climate of the past

Recent published papers include:

  • Responding to eruptive transitions during the 2020-2021 eruption of La Soufrière volcano, St. Vincent (2022) in Nature Communications
  • New insights into the ∼74ka Toba eruption from sulfur isotopes of polar ice cores (2021) in Climate of the past
  • VOLCORE, a global database of visible tephra layers sampled by ocean drilling (2020) in Scientific Data
  • Timescales for pluton growth, magma-chamber formation and super-eruptions (2022) in Nature
  • Estimating tephra fall volume from point-referenced thickness measurements (2022) in Geophysical Journal International

The scientist has collaborated frequently with co-authors including Willy Aspinall, Jenni Barclay, A. Rust, Augusto Neri, and Richard Robertson.

Awards received by R. S. J. Sparks include:

  • Member of Academia Europaea (2012)
  • Fellow of American Geophysical Union (AGU) (1998)

Best Publications

  • The Genesis of Intermediate and Silicic Magmas in Deep Crustal Hot Zones

    Catherine Annen;Jon D Blundy;R. S. J. Sparks

  • The Generation of Granitic Magmas by Intrusion of Basalt into Continental Crust

    Herbert E. Huppert;R. Stephen J. Sparks

  • The dynamics of bubble formation and growth in magmas: A review and analysis

    R.S.J. Sparks

  • Vertically extensive and unstable magmatic systems: A unified view of igneous processes

    Katharine V. Cashman;R. Stephen J. Sparks;Jonathan D. Blundy

  • Quantitative models of the fallout and dispersal of tephra from volcanic eruption columns

    S. Carey;R. S. J. Sparks

  • Thermal and mechanical constraints on mixing between mafic and silicic magmas

    R.S.J. Sparks;L.A. Marshall

  • Explosive volcanic eruptions — IV. The control of magma properties and conduit geometry on eruption column behaviour

    Lionel Wilson;R. Stephen J. Sparks;George P. L. Walker

  • Grain size variations in ignimbrites and implications for the transport of pyroclastic flows

    R. S. J. Sparks

  • Effects of repetitive emplacement of basaltic intrusions on thermal evolution and melt generation in the crust

    CJ Annen;R S J Sparks

  • Products of Ignimbrite Eruptions

    R.S.J. Sparks;S. Self;G.P.L. Walker

  • Forecasting volcanic eruptions

    R.S.J. Sparks

  • Remobilization of Andesite Magma by Intrusion of Mafic Magma at the Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat, West Indies

    M. D. Murphy;R. S. J. Sparks;J. Barclay;M. R. Carroll

  • The Control of Volcanic Column Heights by Eruption Energetics and Dynamics

    L. Wilson;R. S. J. Sparks;T. C. Huang;N. D. Watkins

  • The dimensions and dynamics of volcanic eruption columns

    R. S. J. Sparks

  • Nonlinear dynamics of lava dome extrusion

    OE Melnik;R S J Sparks

  • Causes and consequences of pressurisation in lava dome eruptions

    R.S.J. Sparks

  • Mineral disequilibrium in lavas explained by convective self-mixing in open magma chambers.

    S. Couch;R. S. J. Sparks;M. R. Carroll

  • The significance of vitric-enriched air-fall ashes associated with crystal-enriched ignimbrites

    R.S.J. Sparks;R.S.J. Sparks;G.P.L. Walker;G.P.L. Walker

  • Dynamical constraints on kimberlite volcanism

    R S J Sparks;L Baker;RJ Brown;M Field

  • An experimental investigation of sill formation and propagation in layered elastic media

    Unknown

  • A model for the formation of ignimbrite by gravitational column collapse

    R. S. J. Sparks;L. Wilson

Frequent Co-Authors

Barry Voight
Barry Voight Pennsylvania State University
Susan C. Loughlin
Susan C. Loughlin British Geological Survey
Richard A. Herd
Richard A. Herd University of East Anglia
Jeremy C Phillips
Jeremy C Phillips University of Bristol
Willy P Aspinall
Willy P Aspinall University of Bristol
Peter Malin
Peter Malin University of Auckland
Steven Carey
Steven Carey University of Rhode Island
Paul D. Cole
Paul D. Cole Plymouth University
Eliza S. Calder
Eliza S. Calder University of Edinburgh

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