Research

My research focuses on various aspects of explosive volcanism and volcanic risk based on the integration of field, experimental and numerical approaches.

• Sedimentation from volcanic plumes
  • Effects of particle properties on settling velocity
  • Volcanic particle aggregation
  • Gravitational instabilities
• Plume dynamics
  • Theoretical and numerical studies of volcanic-plume dynamics
• Characterization of tephra deposits
  • Development of new techniques for the field characterization of tephra deposits and the determination of eruptive source parameters (e.g. erupted mass, mass eruption rate, plume height, whole deposit grainsize distribution)
  • Determination of eruptive source parameters and their uncertainty through the development of dedicated strategies (e.g. Total Grain-Size Distribution; Erupted Volume; Plume Height; Mass Eruption Rate; Uncertainty propagation)
• Dynamics of volcanic explosive eruptions
  • Combination of recent progress made in physical volcanology, numerical modeling, geophysics and volcano monitoring in order to formulate a more comprehensive framework for the study of volcanic explosive eruptions (e.g. 2014 MeMoVolc workshop).
• Volcanic hazards
  • Development of sedimentation models and probabilistic approaches for the assessment of tephra hazards (e.g. TEPHRA2; TephraProb)
  • Development of numerical descriptions for ballistic impact (e.g. Great Balls of Fire)
  • Ash dispersal forecast and civil aviation (e.g. 1st IUGG-WMO workshop, 2nd IUGG-WMO workshop)
  • Characterization of wind-remobilisation processes of volcanic ash (e.g. 2019 Workshop, Bariloche, Argentina)
• Risk assessment
  • Characterization of vulnerability in the context of volcanic risk (e.g. European Commission, 7th FP Project - ENSURE, Enhancing Resilience of Communities and Territories facing Natural and Natech Hazards; 2008-2011)
  • Development of comprehensive and inclusive volcanic risk assessment and management strategies (e.g. 2018 IAVCEI-GVM Workshop)

Postdoctoral projects

Strategies for the assessment of volcanic impact and risk
Lucía Domínguez

Modelling volcanic plumes
Jonathan Lemus

Experimental characterisation of particle aggregation
Allan Fries

PhD

Numerical description of tephra sedimentation
Riccardo Simionato (FNS)

Experimental characterisation of gravitational instabilities at the base of volcanic clouds
Carolina Díaz Vecino (FNS)

Strategies of regional volcanic hazard and risk assessment
Maria Paz Reyes Hardy (FNS)

Strategies of vulnerability assessment in a volcanic context
Luigia Di Maio (FNS)

Master

Evacuation modelling of Vulcano island (Italy)
Angie Ramírez Huerta

CERG-C

Assessing the impact of tephra fall on coffee production at Santa Ana volcano, El Salvador
Angela Valeria García Lara

Exposure-based risk assessment of tephra fall associated to eruptions at Misti volcano, Arequipa, Perú
Kevin Cueva Sandoval

Assessment for volcanic risk evaluation: lake Monoun disaster, 1984 (Cameroon)
Goodness Stella Maba'a Djeudjo

Multi-hazard (Tephra fall/lava flow) exposure-based risk assessment of Corbetti Volcano, Central Ethiopia
Million Alemayehu Mengesha

Perception of Nyiragongo volcanic risk by people of Goma Town/DRCongo
Mony Murongani Munihire

European Projects and Networks

H2020-FETOPEN-2016-2017, “NEWTON-g: New Tools for Terrain Gravimetry” 2018-2022

H2020-INFRAIA-2016-2017, “EUROVOLC: European Network of Observatories and Research Infrastructures for Volcanology” 2018-2021

“Measuring and modelling of volcano eruption dynamics” 2011-2016 MeMoVolc

“Volcanic ash: FiEld, expeRimenTal and numerIcal investiGations of prOcesses during its lifecycle” 2014-2018 VERTIGO

“Numerical, Experimental and stochastic Modelling of vOlcanic processes and Hazard: an Initial Training Network for the next generation of European volcanologists” 2012-2016 NEMOH

“European volcanological supersite in Iceland: a monitoring system and network for the future” 2012-2016 FUTUREVOLC

“ENSURE—Enhancing resilience of communities and territories facing natural and na-tech hazards” 2008-2011 (7th Framework Programme), ENSURE

Postdoctoral projects

Numerical investigations of particle aggregation
Eduardo Rossi (2018-2022)

Near real-time detection of Eruption Source Parameters (EUROVOLC - NEWTON-g)
Valentin Freret-Lorgeril (2019-2022)

Experimental investigations of settling-driven gravitational instabilities from volcanic clouds
Paul Jarvis (2017-2019)

Forensic assessment of the 1999 Mount Cameroon eruption, West-Central Africa
Mabel Wantim Nechia (2015)

Two-phase flow regimes in low viscosity magmas
Laura Pioli (2008-2011)

PhD

Modelling Settling-Driven Gravitational Instabilities at the base of volcanic clouds
Jonathan Lemus (2022)

Field and experimental characterisation of tephra sedimentation and resuspension processes
Allan Fries (2022)

Experimental and field investigations of particle aggregation
Stefano Pollastri (2020)

A new integrative multi-hazard volcanic risk assessment combining multi-temporal and multi-spatial scales
Lucía Domínguez (2020)

Rain-triggered lahar initiation in volcanic areas
Valerie Baumann (2018)

Numerical investigations of tephra sedimentation and aggregation
Eduardo Rossi (2018) (NEMOH)

The Lattice Boltzmann method for the study of volcano aeroacoustic source processes 
Federico Brogi (2017)

Experimental investigations of particle sedimentation and aggregation
Gholamhossein Bagheri (2015)

New strategies of volcanic hazard and risk assessments
Sebastien Biass (2015)

New numerical solutions for the description of volcanic particle dispersal
Kae Tsunematsu (2012)

Morphology and microtextures of tephra particles
Fabrizio Alfano (2011)

Basaltic explosive volcanism
Licia Costantini (2010)

A case of no-wind plinian tephra-fall at Pululagua caldera (Ecuador): implications for models of tephra dispersals
Alain Volentik (2009; University of South Florida, USA)

Master

Tracing the evolution of the architecture of the plumbing system during the 2021 Cumbre Vieja eruption, La Palma (Spain)
Camille Pastore

Temporal and chemical relations between volcanic activity at Vulcano and Lipari islands (Italy)
Elise Cerutti (2023)

Field and laboratory experiments on aggregation of volcanic particles
Carolina Díaz Vecino (2021)

Experiments on the effect of the density contrast between volcanic clouds and atmosphere on ash sedimentation
Fanny Vuignier (2020)

Economic Impact Assessment of a Potential Eruption of La Fossa Volcano (Vulcano, Italy)
Tais Zulemyan (2017)

Aggregation processes and tephra sedimentation during the eruption of Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat
Fiona Burns (2015)

Vulnerability assessment of Vulcano island, Italy
Aline Cuomo (2014)

Eruptive patterns of basaltic volcanoes
Lucia Dominguez (2014)

The impact of eruptions of Vesuvius on Early and Middle Bronze Age human settlement in Campania (Southern Italy)
Christophe Python (2014)

Dynamic evacuation plan for Vulcano island, Italy.
Nikolay Startchev (2014)

Experimental studies on convective instabilities in volcanic plumes
Hélène Monnard (2010)

The influence of volatiles in basaltic explosive eruptions
Rosalinda Scalisi (2010)

Determination of eruptive parameters from tephra deposits
Sebastien Biass (2009)

Characterisation of proximal tephra deposits: example of two explosive eruptions at Nisyros, Greece
Celine Longchamp (2008)

CERG-C

Volcanic Risk Ranking for Latin America: the case of Ecuadorian volcanoes
Maria Naranjo (2023)

Chronology and impact of the 2021 La Soufriere Eruption, St. Vincent, Lesser Antilles
Monique Johnson (2023)

Probabilistic risk assessment of ballistic sedimentation for San Salvador metropolitan area, El Salvador
Rodolfo Antonio Castro Cárcamo (2020)

Volcanic Risk Ranking for México and Central América
Amiel Nieto Torres (2020)

Volcanic Risk Ranking for South America
Letícia Freitas Guimarães (2020)

Multi-hazard, exposure and systemic vulnerability assessment of Laguna del Maule Volcanic Field, Chile
Rayen Gho Inzunza (2019)

Social vulnerability assessment of Zoque society, El Chichón volcano, Mexico
Mariana Patricia Jácome Paz (2019)

Exposure-based multi-hazard risk assessment of Copahue Volcano, Neuquén, Argentina
Johanna F. Kauffman (2019)

Tephra-hazard exposure-based risk assessment in Silti-Debre Zeyit Fault Zone, Central Ethiopia
Amde Michael Zafu Tadesse (2019)

Tephra-hazard exposure-based risk assessment during long-lasting Vulcanian eruptions of the Sabancaya volcano, Peru
Rigoberto Aguilar Contreras (2019)

Exposure-based multi-hazard risk assessment of Pululahua volcanic complex, Ecuador
Francisco Vasconez (2019)

Multi-Volcanic Hazard Impact Framework for the Auckland Volcanic Field, New Zealand 
Nicole Allen (2019)

Developing a quantitative vulnerability assessment framework for critical infrastructure networks and agricultural sectors in the Taranaki region of New Zealand
Alana Weir (2019)

Lahar Risk Assessment at Vulcano Island (Italy)
Alessandro Gattuso (2019)

Exposure based-risk analysis of Aluto volcano, Ethiopia
Yewubinesh Bekele Reba (2018)

Assessing risk in the Southern Volcanic Zone of the Andes due to ashfall
Anna Kopp (2018)

Tephra Fallout risk assessment in Villarrica volcano, Chile
Rodrigo Calderón (2017)

Assessment of the impact of Cordón Caulle 2011 tephra fallout on Patagonian vegetation: a remote sensing and a social approach
María Clara Lamberti (2017)

Ash resuspension: perception of risk in farmers after the 2011-2012 Cordón Caulle eruption – a case study from northern Patagonia, Argentina
Pablo Forte (2017)

The impact of Auckland Volcanic Field eruptions on housing capacity in Auckland City, New Zealand
Josh Hayes (2016)

Building resilient communities through urban planning and the integration of Natural Sciences (internship with UNECE)
Noel A. Sampson Ortega (2015)

Risk assessment from lava flows at Mount Cameroon Volcano, West-Central Africa
Mabel Nechia Wantim (2015)

Probabilistic assessment of distal tephra fall impacts on critical infrastructure in Auckland, New Zealand
Grant Wilson (2014)

Modeling Evacuation Using Agent-Based Modeling at Vulcano Island, Italy
Mickaël Heiniger (2013)

Probabilistic modeling of tephra fallout, Ikataina Volcanic Centre, New Zealand
Mary Anne Thompson (2013)

A multidisciplinary assessment of aspects of pyroclastic flow risk at El Misti volcano, south Peru
Robert Constantinescu (2009)

Exposure-based risk assessment of Cotopaxi volcano, Ecuador (internship with UNOSAT)
Sebastien Biass (2008)

Lahar risk assessment of Cotopaxi volcano, Ecuador
Susanne Ettinger (2008)