For us, it was all of these things at once.
During the Pentecost holidays and the following week, a group of students and researchers from the University of Cologne, the University of Bonn, and the University of Bologna came together on Vulcano Island, coordinated by Professor Jana Börner, as part of the Italian-German research and education partnership in the Earth System sciences, IDEA-S4S.
Our main scientific objective was to investigate the hydrothermal system of the La Fossa volcano. We aimed to better understand how deep the hydrothermal system extends beneath the fumarole field and how far it continues towards the northern part of the island. In addition, we explored how different volcanic formations influence groundwater storage and transport within the older volcanic structures of Vulcano.
To address these questions, we applied three complementary geophysical methods:
⚡ Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) to image subsurface resistivity structures related to hydrothermal alteration and fluid circulation.
? Transient Electromagnetic (TEM) measurements to investigate deeper resistivity structures and the potential northern extension of the hydrothermal system.
? Radio Magnetotelluric (RMT) measurements to study subsurface conductivity and the hydrogeological properties of different volcanic deposits.
The campaign brought together people with very different backgrounds and research interests. While everyone focused on their own scientific tasks, we learned a lot from one another and worked closely as a team throughout the entire excursion.
A special thank you goes to our colleagues from the University of Bologna, who actively supported the field measurements and contributed greatly to the success of the campaign. We are looking forward to future collaborations and scientific exchange.
To further evaluate how meteorological conditions might impact the outgassing of the hydrothermal systems, we were joined by colleagues from meteorology. This highlights the interdisciplinary nature of modern Earth system research and how our departments work together.
One of the participants is currently writing a Master's thesis based on ERT investigations at Vulcano, making this field campaign particularly valuable and scientifically enriching for the entire group.
And of course, none of this would have been possible without Professor Jana Börner, whose dedication, enthusiasm, and leadership brought this group together and made the entire experience possible.
What we experienced was much more than a summer school and afield course. It was a scientific adventure, an international collaboration, a chance to learn from one another, and a reminder of why we chose geoscience in the first place.
The data processing and interpretation have now begun, and we are excited to see what the measurements will reveal about the fascinating hydrothermal system beneath Vulcano.
Stay tuned — results are coming soon!