Tomaso Esposti Ongaro and Mattia de' Michieli Vitturi are the two researchers of the Pisa section of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), who received in Prague, during the twenty-sixth assembly of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG ), the Wager Medal 2015, a prestigious recognition awarded by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI). The "Wager Medal" is awarded every two or more years to young researchers who, especially in the eight years prior to the award ceremony, have distinguished themselves for their contribution in the volcanological field.
In the past, 3 other illustrious Italian scientists have been awarded this medal: Franco Barberi (in the first edition, 1974), Giovanni Macedonio (1998) and Antonio Costa (in the latest edition, 2013).
Tommaso Esposti Ongaro and Mattia de' Michieli Vitturi, both researchers in the Physics and Mathematics of Volcanism, deal with the physical-mathematical modeling of volcanic processes and in particular with the dynamics of multiphase gas-particle flows, using the methods of computational fluid dynamics and high performance. They have developed, within the framework of national and international research projects, a numerical model for the 3D and transient simulation of the atmospheric dispersion process during volcanic eruptions of explosive type (volcanic jets and pyroclastic density currents), also used for the evaluation of the dangerousness of active volcanoes (Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei and Stromboli) and the estimation of the impact of pyroclastic flows on urban structures.