NEMOH Final Conference - REPORT

Program

NEMOH Final Conference

Léna Cauchie and Samantha Engwell – NEMOH fellow

After spending a week on the slopes of Etna, the NEMOH fellows travelled to Catania for the final NEMOH conference. The day before the conference, the fellows were invited on a tour of INGV Catania volcano observatory where they learnt of the eruptive history of Etna and the response procedures implemented during an eruptive crisis. The fellows were given a tour of the control room where monitoring of the volcano occurs, and were introduced to the techniques used to observe the volcano.
The final conference, held at Palazzo Platamone in Catania, between the 15th and the 18th of November, gave the fellows the opportunity to present their research, and to put that research in context regarding volcano science in general, and applications for investigating volcanic hazard in particular. During the final NEMOH conference, each NEMOH fellow presented the research conducted during their fellowships, spanning research fields from analogue experiments to volcanic hazards, and from numerical modeling of volcanic interiors and eruption plume dynamics to volcano seismology.

These presentations were interspersed with seminal presentations from international leaders in both academia and industry, with presentations covering a range of topics from hazard analysis and volcano monitoring, to the utilisation of volcanoes for power. The presentation sessions were followed by a discussion led by the NEMOH fellows highlighting the contribution to our understanding of volcanic systems, while identifying areas and issues for future research. Key discussions were centred on the need to bridge between different techniques and disciplines, and the discrepancy between the way in which science is conducted compared to the methods used to communicate results. Each day was completed with a poster session to enable further discussion between the participants, often leading to future collaborations.

The NEMOH final conference served to highlight the amount of work conducted, the collaborations formed, and the experiences and opportunities made available to the fellows during the 4 years of the NEMOH project. The conference concluded with a social dinner in Catania on the 18th of November, where we met officially for the last time as NEMOH members, knowing that lifelong friendships and collaborations had been made, and with the intention of continued development as the next generation of European volcanologists.

NEMOH Final Conference

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NEMOH Final Conference - REPORT

16 - 17 - 18 November 2015
Palazzo Platamone - Catania Culture Building
Catania (Sicily), Italy

The Final NEMOH Conference is the conclusive event of a 4-years path during which 18 international young scientists have been trained in different quantitative aspects of volcanology. NEMOH developed through both background training and more specialized training tailored to the specific research carried out by the single fellows, according to continuously updated Personal Career Development Plans.

The Conference will allow the NEMOH fellows to present and discuss their scientific activity and achievements, and will expose them to a top-level selection of international volcano scientists and related sectors of the industry. Open issues as well as current and future trends in several aspects of volcano science will be discussed. An overarching goal is that of completing the training under NEMOH by inviting the fellows to interact with senior colleagues in order to identify relevant developments for the next future, that might catalyze research activities in volcano science for the years coming.

Registration is mandatory for non-invited participants

Acceptance is subject to restrictions due to maximum capacity allowed, above which the registration will be closed

Register NOW

Venue

Palazzo Platamone - Catania Culture Building

Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 121

Comune di Catania

Sicily (Italy)

Program - Download pdf

NEMOH Final Conference - Registration Form

NEMOH Final Conference

16 - 17 - 18 November 2015
Palazzo Platamone - Catania Culture Building
Catania (Sicily), Italy

Manuscript of Karen Strehlow is now online in the discussion forum of Solid Earth

Manuscript of Karen Strehlow is now online in the discussion forum of Solid Earth

http://www.solid-earth-discuss.net/7/1673/2015/sed-7-1673-2015.html

Abstract. Well water level changes associated with magmatic unrest can be interpreted as a result of pore pressure changes in the aquifer due to crustal deformation, and so could provide constraints on the subsurface processes causing this strain. We use Finite Element Analysis to demonstrate the response of aquifers to volumetric strain induced by pressurised magma reservoirs. Two different aquifers are invoked – an unconsolidated pyroclastic deposit and a vesicular lava flow – and embedded in an impermeable crust, overlying a magma chamber. The time-dependent, fully coupled models simulate crustal deformation accompanying chamber pressurisation and the resulting hydraulic head changes as well as porous flow in the aquifer. The simulated deformational strain leads to centimetres (pyroclastic aquifer) to meters (lava flow aquifer) of hydraulic head changes; both strain and hydraulic head change with time due to substantial porous flow in the hydrological system. Well level changes are particularly sensitive to chamber volume and shape, followed by chamber depth and the phase of the pore fluid. The Young's Modulus and permeability of the aquifer, as well as the strength of pressurisation also have significant influence on the hydraulic head signal. While source characteristics, the distance between chamber and aquifer and the elastic stratigraphy determine the strain field and its partitioning, flow and coupling parameters define how the aquifer responds to this strain and how signals change with time. We investigated a period of pre-eruptive head changes recorded at Usu volcano, Japan, where well data were interpreted using an analytical deformation model. We find that generic analytical models can fail to capture the complex pre-eruptive subsurface mechanics leading to well level changes, due to aquifer pressure changes being sensitive to chamber shape and lithological heterogeneities. In addition, the presence of a pore fluid and its flow have a significant influence on the strain signal in the aquifer and are commonly neglected in analytical models. These findings highlight the need for numerical models for the interpretation of observed well level signals. However, simulated water table changes do mirror volumetric strain and wells can therefore serve as comparatively cheap strain meters that could provide important insights into pre-eruptive dynamics.