Project summary and objectives
This project focuses on the study of the processes that bring magma from the lithosphere to the surface. Shedding light on this topic requires an in-depth knowledge of the geometric development of the magma chamber and plumbing system, the material properties of magma and the surrounding lithospheric rocks, the associated stress fields, and their evolution. At the shallower levels, the local stress field can be influenced also by other factors, including topography, glacial load, volcano growth and shape. Gravity loading, magma overpressure, and plate tectonic forces, compete and interact with each other to influence the processes of magma evolution and migration.
With the purpose of putting together all the possible factors that guide magma migration through the lithosphere, it is necessary to promote the collaboration among scientists with different skills, from different schools and countries, capable of pursuing this goal with new forces and technologies. We wish to facilitate the blending between classical Earth Science approaches and emerging methodologies. More in specific the latter include, on the one side, cutting-edge technologies that enable a strong increase in the amount of data collected: i) higher resolution seismic sensors, such as the Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS), ii) remote-sensing platforms, such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) carrying sensors capable of reaching a field resolution of 1 cm, iii) advanced photogrammetry and Structure from Motion, iv) advanced 3D software for numerical simulation, and v) free InSAR data, such as https://egms.land.copernicus.eu. On the other side, new approaches are necessary to use in the most efficient way these large amounts of data, including: vi) Immersive and Augmented Virtual Reality, vii) machine learning, and viii) Artificial Intelligence.
Although the connection between the discussed aspects is indisputable, their complexity makes it very difficult to address them jointly, unless by favouring the dialogue between various scientists with diverse skills and improving our TF multidisciplinary network. This will be done by contacting new scientists also outside the Earth Sciences s.s., proposing new joint national and international projects, organizing summers schools for young researchers, exchanging scientists among the various laboratories, proposing joint multidisciplinary sessions at national and international congresses, launching dedicated special issues of international scientific journals.