The director of the Volcano Structure of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), Augusto Neri, received today in Vienna, during the General Assembly of the European Geoscience Union (EGU), the Sergey Soloviev Medal 2017. The prestigious award is given for outstanding scientific contributions to fundamental research that improves understanding of natural hazards and contributes to their mitigation (http://www.egu.eu/awards-
Augusto Neri has concentrated his research activity on the development and application of physical-mathematical models of volcanic processes, with particular attention to the dynamics of multiphase gas-particle flows generated by explosive eruptions. The most studied phenomena have been volcanic jets and columns, pyroclastic flows, blasts, Vulcan eruptions, ash and gas dispersion. With his team, Augusto Neri has developed models that have been applied to estimate the danger of both Italian (Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei, Etna) and foreign (Mt.St.Helens, Pinatubo, Soufriere Hills Montserrat, La Soufriere di Guadeloupe) active volcanoes , Eyjafjallajokull, Santorini, etc.), as well as used to estimate the impact of volcanic phenomena on the territory, also in support of risk mitigation actions by the civil protection authorities.
Graduated in chemical engineering at the University of Pisa, he obtained his PhD at theIllinois Institute of Technology of Chicago. After various scholarships at the National Institute of Geophysics, the University of Pisa and the National Research Council (CNR), he was first researcher at the CNR of Pisa and then research manager in the physics of volcanism at the INGV.
In the past, 2 other Italian scientists have received the Sergey Soloviev Medal: Franco Barberi (1997) and Franco Siccardi (2002).
