Stromboli volcano, Italy

Stromboli volcano

Project summary

  • Focus: investigating Stromboli's steady-state magma system and the volcano's possible evolution

A team of volcanologists are investigating the dynamics of explosive eruptions at Stromboli volcano, Italy, with a particular focus on its last 5,000 years of activity.

Present-day volcanic activity at Stromboli is characterised by a steady-state magma system. To infer the possible future evolution of the volcano's magma system we need to understand when and how this steady-state activity was established and how long it will last.

Aims

The project aims to unravel timescales of crystal residence in order to evaluate:

  • changes in the chemical and physical conditions of the Stromboli magma reservoir with time
  • the role of open-system processes in triggering explosive eruptions

The Museum’s rock collection consists of approximately 123,000 samples collected from around the world