IMPROVE · Innovative Multi-disciPlinary European Research training netwOrk on VolcanoEs

Innovative Multi-disciPlinary European Research training netwOrk on VolcanoEs

The EU-funded project IMPROVE – Innovative multi-disciplinary European research training network on volcanoes addressed one of the most complex and societally relevant natural challenges: understanding how active volcanoes work beneath the surface. Volcanoes are both a threat and a resource — they generate devastating eruptions but also offer opportunities for sustainable geothermal energy. Despite decades of research, our ability to image and model the deep roots of volcanoes remains limited. This gap constrains eruption forecasting and the safe, efficient use of volcanic systems for renewable energy production. IMPROVE set out to advance this frontier by training fifteen early-stage researchers in a uniquely integrated environment combining academic, industrial, and technological expertise. Its overarching aim was to develop new ways to observe, model, and understand volcanic and geothermal systems through a coordinated effort that merged geophysics, geochemistry, geology, and data science. Two iconic volcanoes served as natural laboratories: Krafla in Iceland, where magma has been directly encountered by drilling, and Mount Etna in Italy, one of the world’s best monitored active volcanoes. The project pursued four major objectives: (1) to overcome current limits in underground imaging of magma systems; (2) to explore poorly known deformation processes bridging seismic and geodetic timescales; (3) to strengthen collaboration between science and the geothermal industry for sustainable energy use; and (4) to promote technological innovation through joint development of new sensors and instruments. By the end of the project, IMPROVE had achieved all these goals. It produced new methods to image magma storage zones and to link seismic, geodetic, and geochemical observations across scales. It also created prototypes for advanced gas and steam monitoring devices, demonstrated new uses of fibre-optic sensing for volcano monitoring, and revitalised cooperation between scientists and geothermal energy producers. Beyond its scientific results, IMPROVE successfully trained a new generation of volcanologists capable of working across disciplines and sectors. Several of its researchers have already secured academic or industrial positions, confirming the project’s long-term impact in both science and society.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз