IMPROVE, a training project for research in volcanology, has paved a new path for the study of magmatic systems by focusing on advanced technologies, artificial intelligence, and transnational cooperation.
It was concluded at the headquarters of theIstituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) the final conference of the European project IMPROVE, Innovative Multi-Discipline European Research training network on VolcanoEs, funded by the European Commission under the programme Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions Innovative Training Networks (H2020/MSCA-ITN).
The event brought together researchers, academic and industrial partners to take stock of the results of a European training network dedicated to the multidisciplinary study of volcanoes.
Under the coordination of INGV, IMPROVE involved nine academic institutions and three small-medium enterprises from Italy, Spain, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Iceland, with the purpose of train fifteen young researchers international through doctoral programs focused on approaches modern, quantitative and multidisciplinary dedicated to volcanological studies.
“IMPROVE has represented aA unique opportunity to build a new generation of volcanologists, capable of communicating with the world of industry and advanced scientific research.”, he underlined during the opening of the conference President of the INGV, Fabio Florindo.
The scientific heart of the project focused on two emblematic volcanoes: the Krafla caldera in Iceland and Etna in Italy.
In the caldera of the Krafla volcano, the unexpected encounter with the magma 2.1 km deep during geothermal drilling by the state-owned company Landsvirkjun, a partner of the project, gave impetus to the birth of theKrafla Magma Testbed (KMT) International InitiativeThe latter aims to create the first operational magmatic observatory in the world.
“IMPROVE has contributed to the KMT with significant advances in volcanic imaging and in the chemical-physical characterization of the magma and the geothermal system.”, highlighted Paolo Papale, researcher at INGV and coordinator of IMPROVE, during the works.
Otherwise, Etna, among the most active and monitored volcanoes in the world, has offered the ideal environment to experiment multiparametric analysis, artificial intelligence and numerical simulations.
“We related the smallest surface variations to the deep dynamics of the magma, exploring the interactions in the magma-gas-rock system.”, the young researchers explained during the presentations.
The conference saw the participation of all fifteen PhD students, who illustrated the results of their research, fruit of constant collaborations between academic institutions and businesses.
In the course of four-year project (2021–2025), IMPROVE has achieved:
- Two large multiparametric experiments on the Etna and Krafla volcanoes.
- Four international schools in Iceland, Ireland, Italy and Germany.
- Five specialization courses in France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and Germany.
- Eight digital teaching modules, also available on the YouTube channel “improve itn”.
- A workshop dedicated to the dialogue between science and industry on the key themes of the project.
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