David Damby, Ph.D
David Damby researches the impacts of geologic materials and environmental exposures on public health. To date, he has worked on volcanic emissions, wildfire smoke, desert dusts, coal dust, lunar dust, and diatomaceous earth. He currently works for the USGS Volcano Hazards Program.
Biography
Education
PhD (2012) Earth Sciences, Durham University (UK)
BSc (2008) Biochemistry, University of Vermont (USA)
Research Experience
2013 - 2015 Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, Germany
2010 - 2012 MRC/University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen's Medical Research Institute, UK
2009 - 2012 Institute of Hazard, Risk & Resilience, Durham University, UK
2006 - 2008 Transplantation Surgery and Immunology, Department of Surgery, University of Vermont, USA
Member of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) since 2016
Science and Products
The structure and volume of large geysers in Yellowstone National Park, USA and the mineralogy and chemistry of their silica sinter deposits
Siliceous sinter is formed by biogenic and abiogenic opal deposition around hot springs and geysers. Using Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry we generated three-dimensional models of Giant and Castle Geysers from the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. We use these models to calculate an approximate mass of sinter for each (~2 and...
Churchill, Dakota; Manga, Michael; Hurwitz, Shaul; Peek, Sara; Damby, David; Conrey, Richard; Wood, John R.; McCleskey, R. Blaine; Keller, William E.; Hosseini, Behnaz; Hungerford, Jefferson D.G. Evaluating the state-of-the-art in remote volcanic eruption characterization Part II: Ulawun volcano, Papua New Guinea
Retrospective eruption characterization is valuable for advancing our understanding of volcanic systems and evaluating our observational capabilities, especially with remote technologies (defined here as a space-borne system or non-local, ground-based instrumentation which include regional and remote infrasound sensors). In June 2019,...
McKee, Kathleen; Smith, Cassandra Marie; Reath, Kevin; Snee, Eveanjelene; Maher, Sean; Matoza, Robin S.; Carn, Simon A; Roman, Diana; Mastin, Larry G.; Anderson, Kyle R.; Damby, David; Itikarai, Ima; Mulina, Kila; Saunders, Steve; Assink, Jelle D.; de Negri Levia, Rodrigo; Perttu, Anna Assessing the biological reactivity of organic compounds on volcanic ash: Implications for human health hazard
Exposure to volcanic ash is a long-standing health concern for people living near active volcanoes and in distal urban areas. During transport and deposition, ash is subjected to various physicochemical processes that may change its surface composition and, consequently, bioreactivity. One such process is the interaction with anthropogenic...
Tomasek, Ines; Damby, David; Andronico, Daniele; Baxter, Peter J.; Boonen, Imke; Claeys, Philippe; Denison, Michael S.; Horwell, Claire J.; Kervyn, Matthieu; Kueppers, Ulrich; Romanias, Manolis N; Elskens, Marc Development of a simulated lung fluid leaching method to assess the release of potentially toxic elements from volcanic ash
Freshly erupted volcanic ash contains a range of soluble elements, some of which can generate harmful effects in living cells and are considered potentially toxic elements (PTEs). This work investigates the leaching dynamics of ash-associated PTEs in order to optimize a method for volcanic ash respiratory hazard assessment. Using three pristine (...
Tomasek, Ines; Damby, David; Stewart, Carol; Horwell, Claire J.; Plumlee, Geoffrey S.; Ottley, Christopher J; Delmelle, Pierre; Morman, Suzette; El Yazid, Sofian; Claeys, Philippe; Kervyn, Matthieu; Elskens, Marc; Leermakers, Martine Profiling lunar dust dissolution in aqueous environments: The design concept
Published studies and internal NASA reports indicate that when native lunar dust is suspended in an aqueous solution a variety of metal and other ions are released. This release has implications for future lunar missions, ranging from effects on mission hardware, effects on life support systems, possible direct effects on human health, and effects...
Kerschmann, Russell; Winterhalter, Daniel; Scheiderich, Kathleen; Damby, David; Loftus, David Yellowstone's Old Faithful Geyser shut down by a severe 13th century drought
To characterize eruption activity of the iconic Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park over past centuries, we obtained 41 new radiocarbon dates of mineralized wood preserved in the mound of silica that precipitated from erupted waters. Trees do not grow on active geyser mounds, implying that trees grew on the Old Faithful Geyser mound...
Hurwitz, Shaul; King, John; Pederson, Gregory T.; Martin, Justin; Damby, David; Manga, Michael; Hungerford, Jefferson; Peek, Sara Radiocarbon dating of silica sinter and postglacial hydrothermal activity in the El Tatio geyser field
The El Tatio geothermal field in the Chilean Altiplano contains hydrothermal silica sinter deposits overlaying glacial and volcanic units, providing an opportunity to constrain the timing of deglaciation and volcanic activity in an area with sparse absolute chronologies. We obtained 51 new radiocarbon ages and δ13C values on the organic...
Munoz Saez, Carolina; Manga, Michael; Hurwitz, Shaul; Salgter, Silvina; Churchill, Dakota; Reich, Martin; Damby, David; Morata, Diego Assessment of leachable elements in volcanic ashfall: A review and evaluation of a standardized protocol for ash hazard characterization
Volcanic ash presents a widespread and common hazard during and after eruptions. Complex interactions between solid ash surfaces and volcanic gases lead to the formation of soluble salts that may be mobilized in aqueous environments. A variety of stakeholders may be concerned about the effects of ash on human and animal health, drinking water...
Stewart, Carol; Damby, David; Tomasek, Ines; Horwell, Claire J.; Plumlee, Geoffrey S.; Armienta, Maria Aurora; Hinojosa, Maria Gabriela Ruiz; Appleby, Moya; Delmelle, Pierre; Cronin, Shane; Ottley, Christopher J; Oppenheimer, Clive; Morman, Suzette A. The 2018 rift eruption and summit collapse of Kilauea Volcano
In 2018, Kīlauea Volcano experienced its largest lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption and caldera collapse in at least 200 years. After collapse of the Pu'u 'Ō'ō vent on 30 April, magma propagated downrift. Eruptive fissures opened in the LERZ on 3 May, eventually extending ~6.8 km. A 4 May earthquake (M6.9) produced ~5 m of fault slip. Lava...
Neal, Christina A.; Brantley, Steven; Antolik, Loren; Babb, Janet; Burgess, Matthew K.; Cappos, Michael; Chang, Jefferson; Conway, Sarah; Desmither, Liliana; Dotray, Peter; Elias, Tamar; Fukunaga, Pauline; Fuke, Steven; Johanson, Ingrid; Kamibayashi, Kevan; Kauahikaua, James P.; Lee, R. Lopaka; Pekalib, S.; Miklius, Asta; Shiro, Brian; Swanson, Don; Nadeau, Patricia; Zoeller, Michael H.; Okubo, P.; Parcheta, Carolyn; Patrick, Matthew R.; Tollett, William; Trusdell, Frank A.; Younger, Edward F.; Montgomery-Brown, Emily; Anderson, Kyle R.; Poland, Michael P.; Ball, Jessica L.; Bard, Joseph A.; Coombs, Michelle L.; Dietterich, Hannah R.; Kern, Christoph; Thelen, Weston; Cervelli, Peter; Orr, Tim R.; Houghton, Bruce F.; Gansecki, Cheryl; Hazlett, Richard; Lundgren, Paul; Diefenbach, Angela K.; Lerner, Allan; Waite, Greg; Kelly, Peter J.; Clor, Laura E.; Werner, Cynthia; Burgess, Matthew; Mulliken, Katherine; Fisher, Gary Volcanic eruptions and threats to respiratory health
In early May 2018, Kīlauea volcano became increasingly active, posing an increase in threat to respiratory health. The emission of gases such as sulfur dioxide from Kīlauea produces large amounts of respirable acid particles as the gases react with water vapor and sunlight, resulting in a visible haze called “vog”. Additionally, the lava lake at...
Carlos, W. Graham; Gross, Jane E.; Jamil, Shazia; Dela Cruz, Charles S.; Damby, David; Tam, Elizabeth K. Respiratory hazard assessment of combined exposure to complete gasoline exhaust and respirable volcanic ash in a multicellular human lung model at the air-liquid interface
Communities resident in urban areas located near active volcanoes can experience volcanic ash exposures during, and following, an eruption, in addition to sustained exposures to high concentrations of anthropogenic air pollutants (e.g., vehicle exhaust emissions). Inhalation of anthropogenic pollution is known to cause the onset of...
Tomasek, Ines; Horwell, Claire J.; Bisig, Christoph; Damby, David; Comte, Pierre; Czerwinski, Jan; Petri-Fink, Alke; Clift, Martin J D; Drasler, Barbara; Rothen-Rutishauer, Barbara Volcanic ash activates the NLRP3 inflammasome in murine and human macrophages
Volcanic ash is a heterogeneous mineral dust that is typically composed of a mixture of amorphous (glass) and crystalline (mineral) fragments. It commonly contains an abundance of the crystalline silica (SiO2) polymorph cristobalite. Inhalation of crystalline silica can induce inflammation by stimulating the NLRP3 inflammasome, a cytosolic...
Damby, David; Horwell, Claire J.; Baxter, Peter J.; Kueppers, Ulrich; Schnurr, Max; Dingwell, Donald B.; Duewell, Peter
A time when Old Faithful wasn’t so faithful
Old Faithful Geyser got its unique name in the 19th century because its eruptions were so regular and predictable. But during parts of the 13th and 14th centuries, the geyser did not erupt at all.
Volcano Watch — Kīlauea hazard assessments include analyses of salts on volcanic ash
Sulfur dioxide (SO2)-rich emissions have long been a feature of Kīlauea Volcano's summit activity. However, vigorous volcanic ash production during the 2018 eruption raised new concerns about potential impacts for downwind communities.