Partners:
- Università di Pisa, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Italia.
- Università di Roma – Sapienza; Partner coordinator: Silvio Mollo
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia; Partner coordinator: Elisabetta del Bello
Duration: September 28th 2023 to February 27th 2026 (2 years and 5 months)
Budget (€): 363.092,00
ERC field: PE10 Earth System Science
ERC subfields: PE10_10 Mineralogy, petrology, igneous petrology, metamorphic petrology
Keywords: Volcanic Eruptions, Experimental Petrology, Volcanic Risk, Volcanological Monitoring, Magmatic Degassing, Mineralogy
Scope – The project PROVES introduces an innovative method of integrated petrological-volcanological monitoring based on the time series data analysis of magmatic products erupted over time scales of minutes to years at Stromboli and Mt. Etna volcanoes. The proposed monitoring approach will allow to reconstruct the spatio-temporal evolution of deep and shallow magmatic processes and, possibly, to detect trends toward more violent eruptions (i.e., paroxysms), which lack of clear precursory signals. Past, present, and future eruptions at Mt. Etna and Stromboli will be scrutinized by integrating petrological and experimental characterization of mafic alkaline magmas (MAM) with the analysis of eruptive parameters, ultimately allowing to link between magma evolution in the conduit with eruptive activity at the vent. The vertical parametrization (P-T-fO2-Xvol) of magmas erupted over temporal scales varying from minutes to years will be pivotal to reconstruct the architecture of the feeding systems and to determine the physico-chemical changes of MAM at pre- and syn-eruptive conditions. In turn, quantifying magma ascent rates and volatile budget throughout the conduit will be crucial to assess the time scales of recharge events at depth (by mafic magmas and deep volatiles) and the shift in eruptive activity at the vent induced by strong disequilibrium degassing and crystallization. This integrated approach will improve our capacity to forecast the evolution of volcanic eruptions, assess volcanic hazard and mitigate the related risk.
Published papers
- Colle F., Masotta M., Costa S., Mollo S., Landi P., Pontesilli A., Peres S., Mancini L., 2023. Effect of undercooling on clinopyroxene crystallization in a high K basalt: Implications for magma dynamics at Stromboli volcano. Lithos 456-457, 107327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2023.107327
- Mollo S., Moschini P., Ubide T., MacDonald A., Vetere F., Nazzari M., Misiti V., Miyajima M., Melai C., Di Genova D., Vona A., Di Fiore F., Romano C., 2023, Kinetic partitioning of trace cations between zoned clinopyroxene and a variably cooled-decompressed alkali basalt: Thermodynamic considerations on lattice strain and electrostatic energies of substitution. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 361, 40–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2023.10.012.
- Colle F., Masotta M., Costa S., Giacomoni P.P., Trua T., Marani M., 2024. A micro-scale insight into a back-arc trans-crustal plumbing system: The case of Marsili volcano, Southern Tyrrhenian Sea. Lithos 482-483, 107675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2024.107675
- Giacomoni P.P., Masotta M., Delpech G., Lanzafame G., Ferlito C., Villeneuve J., Coltorti M., 2024. Geochemistry and volatile contents of olivine-hosted melt inclusions from Mt. Etna tholeiitic and alkaline magmatism. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 179 (5), 47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-024-02116-1.
- Peres S., Griffiths T.A., Colle F., Iannini Lelarge S., Masotta M., Pontesilli A., Mancini L., Rainer A., (2024) Identifying crystal nucleation mechanisms in a synthetic trachybasalt: a multimodal approach. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 179 (9), 84. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-024-02161-w
- Mollo S., Di Fiore F., MacDonald A., Ubide T., Pontesilli A., Giuliani G., Vona A., Romano C., Scarlato P., 2024. Thermodynamics and kinetics of cation partitioning between plagioclase and trachybasaltic melt in static and dynamic systems: A reassessment of the lattice strain and electrostatic energies of substitution. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 384, 27-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2024.09.006.
- MacDonald A., Ubide T., Mollo S., Taddeucci J., 2024. Spatial and temporal mush heterogeneity during eruptions recorded in clinopyroxene from the 2021 paroxysms at Mt. Etna, Italy. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 179:99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-024-02174-5.
- MacDonald A., Ubide T., Mollo S., 2024. Degree of sector zoning in clinopyroxene records dynamic magma recharge and ascent. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 378, 245-258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2024.06.025.
- Pontesilli A., Di Fiore F., Scarlato P., Ellis B., Del Bello E., Andronico D., Taddeucci J., Brenna M., Nazzari M., Bachmann O., Mollo S., 2024. Magma differentiation in dynamic mush domains from the perspective of multivariate statistics. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 25, e2023GC011396. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GC011396.
- Masotta M., Colle F., Costa S., Landi P., 2025. Reactive dissolution of plagioclase in a basaltic melt: A chronometer for pre-eruptive volcanic processes. Earth Planetary Science Letters 656, 119249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119249
- Del Bello, E., Bagnato, E., Guerrieri, L., Tamburello, G., Corradini, S., Merucci, L., Pennacchia, F., Scarlato, P., Stelitano, D., and Taddeucci, J., 2025, A cross-comparison of thermal infrared versus ultraviolet ground-based retrievals of SO2 masses during Strombolian explosions: Volcanica, v. 8, p. 583–599, https://doi:10.30909/VOL/SGIC1814.
- Califano E. Mollo S., Sossi P.A., Tavazzani L., Moschini P., Pontesilli A., Scarlato P., 2025. Volatilities and diffusivities of Tl, Ag, Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn, Ga, and As from a Cl-bearing shoshonitic basalt and their application to volcanic degassing. Chemical Geology, 693, 122947, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2025.122947.
- Biensan, C., Taddeucci, J., Alatorre-Ibarguengoitia, M., Scarlato, P., Andronico, D., Ricci, T., Del Bello, E., D’Auria, L., Asensio-Ramos, M., and Palladino, D.M., 2025, In flight fragmentation reduces bomb size range and hazard during explosive volcanic eruptions: Scientific Reports, v. 15, p. 36880, https://doi:10.1038/s41598-025-20900-2.
- Sork, A., Kennedy B., Watson L., Taddeucci J., Fitzgerald R., Sellier, M., Biensan C., Andronico D., Scarlato P., Del Bello E., 2025, Size matters: a new view of the relationship between shape and size for molten volcanic ballistics: Bulletin of Volcanology, v. 87, p. 61, https://doi:10.1007/S00445-025-01845-W.
- Schiavon B., Petrone C.M., Forni F., Pontesilli A., Hu H., Scarlato P., Andronico D., Del Bello E., Nazzari M., Mollo S., 2025, Multiple mush generations provide insight into the longevity of open-conduit basaltic volcanoes. Scientific Reports, 15, 21393, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-07005-6.
- Costa S., Masotta M., Colle F., Giacomoni P.P, D’Oriano C., Landi P., 2026. Optimization of lithium diffusion modelling in plagioclase: implications for the assessment of pre-eruptive timescales. Chemical Geology 704, 123222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2025.123222.
- Sork, A., Watson, L., Kennedy, B., Fitzgerald, R.H., Taddeucci, J., Sellier, M., Scarlato, P., Del Bello, E., and Ricci, T., 2026, Modelled versus tracked ballistic trajectories of volcanic bombs at Stromboli (Italy): Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, v. 472, p. 108543, https://doi:10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2026.108543.
- Del Bello, E., Zanella, G., Civico, R., Ricci, T., Taddeucci, J., Andronico, D., Cristaldi, A., and Scarlato, P., 2026, High-Frequency Monitoring of Explosion Parameters and Vent Morphology During Stromboli’s May 2021 Crater-Collapse Activity Using UAS and Thermal Imagery: Remote Sensing, v. 18, p. 264, https://doi:10.3390/RS18020264.
- Taddeucci, J., Andronico, D., Del Bello, E., Ricci, T., Manga, M., Roddatis, V., Schreiber, A., Pennacchia, F., Pontesilli, A., Di Fiore, F., Tatti, F., Nazzari, M., Rodríguez, F., and Scarlato, P., 2026, Sutures in mafic pyroclasts: Bulletin of Volcanology, in press.
Papers presented at national and international conferences and workshop
6a Conferenza Alfred Rittmann, Catania (Italy), 18-20 September 2024
- Biensan C., et al. Characterization of pyroclast in-flight fragmentation at mafic volcanoes.
- Biensan C., et al. Multiparametric exploration of active magma degassing at Mt. Etna in 2023.
- Masotta M., et al. Deciphering time scales of pre-eruptive mixing at Stromboli volcano: insights from plagioclase dissolution-reaction experiments.
- Costa S., et al. Optimization of Lithium diffusion modeling in plagioclase: implications for timescales assessment in open-conduit volcanoes.
- Giacomoni P.P., et al. Cryptic amphibole at Mt. Etna (Sicily, Italy): insights from the 2001 lava and an amphibole-rich cumulitic xenolith.
Congresso congiunto SIMP-SGI, Bari (Italy)
- Masotta M., et al. Reactive dissolution of plagioclase in a basaltic melt: a chronometer for pre-eruptive volcanic processes.
Congresso congiunto SIMP-SGI, Padova (Italy), 16-18 September 2025
- Mollo S., Crystallization dynamics in magmas recorded by clinopyroxene: a multifaceted perspective.
- Moschini P., et al. Titanomagnetite growth kinetics as a proxy for major and trace cation substitution reactions.
- Giacomoni P.P., et al. Deciphering magma ascent P-T path of Mt. Etna flank eruptions: new insights from crystal-melt thermobarometry and amphibole-rich cumulates
- Masotta M., et al. Reactive dissolution of plagioclase in a basaltic melt: a chronometer for pre-eruptive volcanic processes.
- Colle F., et al. The glomerocrysts record for magma differentiation in a mush-dominated trans-crustal plumbing system: the case of Marsili volcano.
Cities on Volcanoes 12, Antigua (Guatemala), 11-17 February 2024
- Del Bello E., et al. Comprehensive analysis of Strombolian explosion parameters using high-frequency, thermal, UV, visual, and acoustic time series data.
- Ricci T., et al. Increased volcanic risk at Stromboli.
- Biensan C., et al. Sboffing and ringing: active degassing styles at Etna in 2023.
- Bagnato E., et al. Advancement on ash leachates study at Stromboli volcano from 2019 to 2023.
- Sork A., et al. Shape-size dependence of in-flight volcanic bombs.
EGU, European Geosciences Union General Assembly, Wien (Austria) 27 April - 2 May 2024
- Biensan C., et al.: Multiparametric exploration of active magma degassing at Mt. Etna in 2023.
- Di Fiore F., et al.: Disequilibrium viscosity of Stromboli basalt: Implications for magma dynamics.
AGU, American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, Washington D.C. (USA), 9-12 December 2024
- Biensan C., et al.: A multiparametric investigation of the active magma degassing at Mt. Etna in summer 2023 (IMPROVE team).
- Carthy J., et al.: Unsupervised Multimodal Analysis of Volcanic Degassing at Mount Etna.
IAVCEI, International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, Geneve (Switzerland), June 29 - July 4 2025
- Schiavon B., et al. Multiple mush generations provide insight into the longevity of open conduit basaltic volcanoes.
- Scarlato P., et al. Understanding the ordinary to forecast the extraordinary: four years of integrated insights into Stromboli’s explosive activity and hazard mitigation.
- Pontesilli A., et al. Multi-elemental assessment of plagioclase-melt equilibria unravels episodes of crystal growth and provides clues on magma evolution.
- Del Bello E., et al. Integrated High-Frequency Monitoring of Strombolian Explosions: Insights from Multi-Parameter Time Series Data.
- Bagnato E., et al. Ash-leachates chemistry as a tool for monitoring volcanic activity: An application to Stromboli volcano from 2019 to 2024.
- Taddeucci J., et al. Multi-parametric recording of multi-vent activity at Stromboli volcano (Italy).
- Taddeucci J., et al. Pyroclast microtextures reveal complex fragmentation history in mafic magmas.
- Di Fiore F., et al.: Monitoring and Modeling Lava Flow Dynamics of the July 2024 Stromboli (Italy) eruptive activity: Insights from UAS Surveys and Petrological Analysis.
- Sork A., et al. Does incorporation of irregular bomb shapes significantly influence the outcome of ballistic hazard models?
- Biensan C., et al. In-flight fragmentation dynamics in explosive eruptions of low-viscosity magmas.
- Costa S., et al. Optimization of Lithium diffusion modeling in plagioclase: implications for pre-eruptive timescales assessment.
EGU, European Geosciences Union General Assembly, Wien (Austria) 27 April - 2 May 2025
- Pontesilli A., Di Fiore F., Mollo S., Ellis B., Andronico D., Taddeucci J., Bachmann O., Scarlato P., 2025, Multi-elemental assessment of plagioclase-melt equilibria unravels episodes of crystal growth and provides clues on magma evolution.
- Pontesilli A., Di Fiore F., Scarlato P., Ellis B., Del Bello E., Andronico D., Taddeucci J., Brenna M., Nazzari M., Bachmann O., Mollo S., 2024, Magma differentiation in dynamic mush domains from the perspective of multivariate statistics: open- vs closed-system evolution.
- Schiavon B., Petrone C.M., Forni F., Pontesilli A., Del Bello E., Scarlato P., Nazzari M., Tiepolo M., Mollo S., 2024, Petrological monitoring of persistently active basaltic volcanoes: the case study of Stromboli (Aeolian Islands, Southern Italy).
International Symposium on Experimental Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry (EMPG), Orléans (France) 16-19 June 2025
- Masotta M., et al. Reactive dissolution of plagioclase in a basaltic melt: a chronometer for pre-eruptive volcanic processes.
- Colle F., et al. Kinetics of clinopyroxene crystallization in a basaltic melt from Stromboli volcano
15th IAVCEI CCVG Workshop, Hokkaido (Japan), 31 August – 7 September 2025
- Bagnato E., et al.: Chemical Signatures of Ash-Leachates as Indicators of Eruptive Styles at Stromboli Volcano (2019–2024).
- Del Bello E., et al.: A cross-comparison of thermal infrared vs ultraviolet ground-based retrievals of SO2 masses during Strombolian explosions.
Schools
- ZEISS on your Campus Workshop. Below the surface. Understanding fundamental processes that shape the Universe. Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra and Centro per la Integrazione della Strumentazione dell’Università di Pisa (May 14 –15, 2025), Italy. M. Masotta: speaker.