by Emma Nelson, LACIS’ Communications Assistant
With the generous support of LACIS, Pablo Moreno-Yaeger attended the Goldschmidt Conference in Prague, Czech Republic under funding from the Neale Silva Scholarship July 6th through the 11th of 2025.
The Goldschmidt Conference is the largest geochemistry conference in the world, organized by the European Association of Geochemistry and the Geochemical Society annually. Pablo was one of close to 5000 scientists to participate in the conference this past July.
Pablo Moreno-Yaeger graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with his masters degree, and is now currently pursuing his Ph.D. at the university. Moreno-Yaeger investigates how volcanoes react to glaciation and deglaciation, with his overarching research being in the studies of volcanology.
While attending the conference, Pablo presented current research from the department of Geoscience at UW-Madison. The research project was conducted and led by University of Wisconsin-Madison geoscientist Brad Singer, and team of experts in volcanology, glaciology and climate, including Pablo Moreno-Yaeger. Under funding from the National Science Foundation, the team studied the chemistry of rocks at six volcanoes in the Chilean Andes.
Moreno-Yaeger’s research “suggests that hundreds of dormant subglacial volcanoes worldwide – particularly in Antarctica – could become more active as climate change accelerates glacier retreat”. (eurekalert.org) Pablo’s time at the conference was very successful, and he not only was interviewed by the press team at Goldschmidt, but had interviews and was featured in EurekAlert!, Inside Climate News, The Guardian, LaTercera, and CNN . Most recently he was interviewed by BBC News. Pablo’s research was also, most recently, published by the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth. The Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth is a premier geophysics journal.
Not only did Pablo’s time at the conference allow for recognition of the work being done by the team in the Chilean Andes, but Pablo said he returned to Madison with newfound professional relationships, countless peer connections within the field of geochemistry, and refined media outreach strategies. With the coverage of Pablo’s work and the recent release in the Journal of Geophysical Research, Pablo hopes this awareness and knowledge can reach and be shared with Chileans living near volcanoes.
Furthermore, since his return Pablo continues to be recognized for his astounding work and research, as he was recently admitted to the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society. The honor society is a prestigious establishment found at only three universities, UW-Madison, Howard University, and Yale University. With Pablo’s acceptance to this respected society he joins a network of scholars who “exemplify academic and personal excellence, foster environments of support, and serve as examples of scholarship, leadership, character, service, and advocacy for students in the academy.”
As 2025 came to a close, Pablo Moreno-Yaeger attended the American Geophysical Union conference held in New Orleans from December 11th through the 19th. During Pablo’s time at the conference he had the opportunity to once again showcase the research his team completed in the Chilean Andes. Throughout his time at the conference he convened a session in volcanology, including an oral and poster presentation. The team of experts in volcanology, alongside Pablo Moreno-Yaeger, continue to be recognized for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields. The research continues to allow for heightened knowledge and awareness of the threat climate change poses within the study of volcanology.