Crystals in volcanic rocks preserve information about the processes that occurred in the plumbing system and during the transfer of magma to the Earth’s surface and are fundamental messengers carrying key information on the timescales of eruptive processes. In the last years, we have seen an extraordinary advancement in the development of new and progressively more sophisticated analytical and experimental equipment.
Unfortunately, conceptual models have barely followed the same direction. This is because existing models are mostly focused on equilibrium conditions. Equilibrium conditions, however, represent exceptional cases in volcanic systems where, on the contrary, non-equilibrium conditions prevail. This undermines our ability to understand in detail the dynamics developing in volcanic plumbing systems, eruptive activity, and the timing of these processes.
This project aims to cut the Gordian knot of the presently intractable problem of developing more reliable conceptual models and modelling tools to understand the dynamics of volcanic plumbing systems, from magma storage conditions to eruption. The surgical approach we propose integrates innovative experiments, state-of-the-art analytical protocols, numerical modeling, and advanced application of Artificial Intelligence algorithms to provide new constraints on the fundamental processes of crystal growth kinetics, diffusion, and crystal-melt element partitioning.