Rebecca Carey

Dr Rebecca Carey is an Associate Professor and Australian Research Council Future Fellow in the School of Natural Sciences at the University of Tasmania.

She is a marine geoscientist and volcanologist focused on understanding subsea volcanic and sedimentary processes and how these processes shape the seafloor in tectonically and volcanically active regions. Her work provides process-based geological evidence that underpins understanding of offshore geohazards and seafloor evolution.

Her research integrates volcanology, sedimentology, marine geology, and geochemistry to investigate how explosive eruptions, density currents, and mass-transport processes operate on the seafloor. She is part of international research efforts examining the 2022 Hunga eruption, which yielded cool observations of fast, long-runout seafloor flows capable of interacting with submarine cables.

In parallel, her ARC Future Fellowship research examines the architecture and evolution of volcanic systems that host copper mineralisation, linking magmatic processes, fluid transport, and volcanic–sedimentary pathways in modern and ancient settings. This work is directly relevant to understanding deep-sea volcanic environments where mineralisation, geohazards, and environmental processes intersect, including those being considered in discussions around seabed resource potential.

Through ARC-funded and collaborative industry projects, she works alongside colleagues in academia, government, and industry to translate fundamental geoscience into improved understanding of offshore environments and geological processes.