The High Pressure - High Temperature Laboratory (HPHT) of INGV is located in the Rome headquarters of the Institution and carries out some leading research in the volcanological, seismic and environmental fields, some of which are financed as part of European projects. Many of INGV's analytical and experimental activities are concentrated here in support of research and monitoring, but also of the development of technologies and new investigative methodologies. Recent experimental activities, also carried out in collaboration with laboratories in other countries, concern simulations and measurements related to the physics of rocks and earthquakes, the chemical-physical properties of magmas and the analogical modeling of volcanic processes. The HPHT Laboratory, of which Piergiorgio Scarlato is responsible, is a pole of attraction for Italian and foreign researchers and, currently, around 15 geologists, physicists and engineers work there.
What do you do in the laboratory?
Experts work with an experimental approach on various fields from volcanology to rock physics, reproducing phenomena such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes through the use of natural and synthetic materials. In the volcanological field, the HPHT Laboratory is a leader in the development of new methodologies applied to the observation of volcanic activity of an explosive nature. In 2017 through the use of high-speed, high-resolution cameras and in collaboration with the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the University of Hawaii and the University of Munich we developed and applied these new techniques on the Etna, on Stromboli and on other volcanoes in the world (Hawaii, Vanuatu, Indonesia), with the result of proposing a new general scheme for classifying Strombolian explosive activity.
How are natural phenomena reproduced in the laboratory, what tools do you use?
For the experiments, apparatus specially made for these researches are used. Most of the instruments present in the laboratory have been created to carry out tests and measurements for the study of phenomena such as earthquakes or the formation of magma which rises towards the earth's surface. In our laboratory we have also tested, for the first time, a technique for reconstructing volcanic explosions in 3D, using two high-speed cameras in a synchronized way to shoot the eruptions themselves. With innovative results for the collection of information… Through computerized processing, we were able to analyze every single pixel of the thousands of images collected, obtaining a three-dimensional reconstruction of the explosive events filmed. This has allowed for the first time to accurately determine the trajectories followed by the emitted products, their speed and other aerodynamic parameters essential for understanding the eruptive processes and the dispersion area of the eruption products around the emission crater. Experimenting these new technologies on volcanoes required several years of development and testing, leading to significant scientific results in the field of volcanology. All this information helps us to better understand "live" eruptive phenomena such as those of Etna and Stromboli.
What projects are you currently working on?
The Laboratory is involved in numerous national and international projects. One of the most relevant is the European Research Council (ERC) project, dedicated to the study of earthquakes and led by prof. Giulio Di Toro of the University of Padua. In this context we are developing new experimental techniques for studying the role of fluids in the seismic process. Instead, as part of other international projects, we are studying the mechanisms of dispersion of the volcanic ash produced during explosive activity and the ways in which the ash itself is set "in motion" once it has fallen to the ground. This problem, in addition to having scientific aspects, has a significant social relevance because the fallout and remobilisation of volcanic ash creates problems for the environment, health and infrastructures.
In the picture: Piergiorgio Scarlato in the High Pressure - High Temperature Laboratory of INGV
Ph. © Marco Cirilli