Lorenzo Cappelli

Lorenzeo Cappelli
Post-doctoral visiting fellow
lorenzo.cappelli@earth.ox.ac.uk

Lorenzo joined the Volcanology group in 2025 as a visiting postdoctoral fellow funded by the Fondation Wiener-Anspach to conduct a one-year research project under the supervision of Prof. David Pyle.

The project, entitled “The risk of submarine volcanic eruptions in the Mediterranean: the case of the 726 CE Santorini eruption,” aims to reconstruct the eruptive dynamics of the 726 CE eruption of Santorini volcano, whose explosive impact has been recently re-evaluated following the discovery of newly identified pumice deposits recovered from the seabed (IODP Expedition 398).
Syn-eruptive processes of crystal and bubble nucleation and growth will be investigated using a combination of 2D and 3D imaging techniques, including SEM-BSE analysis of polished sections and X-ray micro-computed tomography of lapilli particles.
A better understanding of Santorini’s explosive behavior is crucial for accurately assessing volcanic hazards on an island visited by thousands of people each year.

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During my PhD at the Department of Geosciences of the Université libre de Bruxelles (DGES-ULB; Belgium), I investigated the role of volatile phases (mainly H₂O and CO₂) in shaping and controlling volcanic environments and eruptions across the East African Rift. My research focused on highly alkaline (peralkaline) evolved magmatic compositions, ranging from phonolites to rhyolites, which are characterized by relatively low viscosities and represent a distinctive feature of rift-related volcanic systems. The project explored the role of volatiles in controlling both surface and subsurface processes, from the quantification of CO₂ degassing at volcanic soils and its influence on present-day volcanic and hydrothermal environments, to the way volatiles drive magmatic reservoir evolution and eruption triggering. A particular focus was placed on syn-eruptive degassing and its effects on the rheological evolution of magma, ultimately leading to fragmentation within the conduit during explosive eruptions. This final stage of magma ascent, together with advances in three-dimensional textural analyses of eruptive products, represents the core of my current research interests and continues to offer exciting and challenging avenues for investigation

 

 

 

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