We investigate earthquake and volcano processes. How do earthquakes nucleate, rupture and interact, how do volcanic unrest develop and possibly lead to eruptions, how the hazard of earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis can be assessed and how to rapidly obtain and provide information on such extreme events after their occurrence? Our research helps to reduce risk from natural hazards as earthquakes and volcanoes.

We cover a unique set of skills and expertise in the fields of:

• Bubble & volcano lab
• Wave Physics and Tool Development Lab

Our section offers also the International Training Courses .

Massive earthquake swarm driven by magmatic intrusion at the Bransfield Strait, Antarctica
Cesca,S., Sugan, M., Rudzinski, L., Vajedian, S., Niemz, P., Plank, S., Petersen, G., Deng, Z., Rivalta, E., Vuan, A., Plasencia Linares, M.P., Heimann, S., Dahm, T.

An earthquake swarm affected the Bransfield Strait, Antarctica, a unique rift basin in transition from intra-arc rifting to ocean spreading. The swarm, counting ~85,000 volcano-tectonic earthquakes since August 2020, is located close to the Orca submarine volcano, previously considered inactive. Simultaneously, geodetic data reported up to ~11 cm northwestward displacement over King George Island. We use a broad variety of geophysical data and methods to reveal the complex migration of seismicity, accompanying the intrusion of 0.26–0.56 km³ of magma. Strike-slip earthquakes mark the intrusion at depth, while shallower normal faulting the ~20 km long lateral growth of a dike. Seismicity abruptly decreased after a Mw 6.0 earthquake, suggesting the magmatic dike lost pressure with the slipping of a large fault. A seafloor eruption is likely, but not confirmed by sea surface temperature anomalies. The unrest documents episodic magmatic intrusion in the Bransfield Strait, providing unique insights into active continental rifting.
 

Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship for  Dr. Mehdi Nikkhoo
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation has granted Dr. Mehdi Nikkhoo from section 2.1 “Phys-ics of earthquakes and volcanoes” a Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship. Mehdi Nikkhoo will join Prof. Yehuda Ben-Zion’s lab at University of Southern California in Los Angeles for a two-year time period. The project will focus on mechanical models of lava dome deformation.

WIKI Section 2.1