Project description
A new paradigm to predict volcanic eruptions
How are large volumes of magma accumulated within the Earth’s crust? How are they subsequently mobilised for eruption? The answers to these questions are critical to identifying precursory signs of volcanic unrest, which is the ‘grand challenge’ of volcanology. The EU-funded STEMMS project will design a transformative approach to understand magma storage and mobilisation prior to large eruptions. Since magma is stored as crystal mush (a dense mixture of volcanic crystals and melt) that is too stiff to move and erupt, the project will consider the conditions by which the mush can be released as eruptible magma. How a mush is assembled determines its readiness to be erupted later. STEMMS will design a new paradigm to define how mushy materials are mobilised before large volcanic eruptions.
Objective
Volcanic eruptions are a major natural hazard, affecting life, health and financial stability globally, with >800m people living within 100km of an active volcano. Large explosive eruptions can be devastating, causing tens of thousands of fatalities. Forecasting eruptive activity is the grand challenge of volcanology, but large eruptions are rare, so our ability to link geophysical observations of surface unrest to magma movements below the surface remains poor. There are two key questions: (1) how are large volumes of magma accumulated within the Earths crust? and (2) how are they subsequently mobilised for eruption? Magma is stored as crystal mush (a dense mixture of volcanic crystals and melt), that is too stiff to move and erupt. Understanding what controls its structure, and the mechanisms by which the mush can be released as eruptible magma, is therefore critical to identifying precursory signs of volcanic unrest. STEMMS introduces a transformative approach to the problem of magma storage and mobilisation prior to large volcanic eruptions, recognising that the micro-scale structure of a mush is fundamental to its subsequent macro-scale physical behaviour. The project brings together two new concepts: (1) The primary growth conditions of a mush control its grain-scale textures there is a critical link between magma crystallisation history and its subsequent physical behaviour. (2) A mush can be remobilised simply by growth of gas bubbles, with no external source of heat or eruption trigger the timing of volatile saturation is key. Thus, the way a mush is assembled critically determines its readiness to be erupted later. Together, these concepts will frame a new paradigm to define how mushy materials are mobilised before large volcanic eruptions. STEMMS will develop a new framework to interrogate the chain of events prior to large eruptions, which will change practices in the volcanology community and, ultimately, lead to improved eruption forecasting.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- humanities history and archaeology history
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences geology volcanology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2019-COG
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DH1 3LE DURHAM
United Kingdom
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