Richard E. Ernst is Scientist-in-Residence in the Department of Earth Science at Carleton University, Ontario, Canada. After receiving his PhD in 1989, he spent fourteen years conducting contracted research in Canada and many global regions, particularly Siberia, mainly for the Geological Survey of Canada. In 2003 Dr Ernst started his consulting firm Ernst Geosciences and also became co-leader of the Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) Commission of IAVCEI (International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior). He has worked extensively to further research in the field: in...