Giulio Bini, IMPROVE Early Stage Researcher, has been double-honored. In July 2023 he was awarded the Silver Medal of ETH Zurich for his outstanding doctoral thesis entitled “Interpreting the dynamics of magmatic-hydrothermal systems using the chemistry of gas emissions: the case of the Nisyros caldera (Aegean Arc, Greece)”. One year after, in July 2024, during the 2nd Congress of the Italian Geochemical Society at Perugia, Italy, Giulio received the Tonani Award of the Italian Geochemical Society (SOGEI) for the Best Doctoral Thesis in Applied Geochemistry.

Winning the Tonani Award – said Giulio Bini – for the best doctoral thesis in Applied Geochemistry is an honor, not only because of the prestige of the Italian Geochemical Society (SOGEI) but also because it validates years of dedicated research.

My thesis focused on interpreting the dynamics of magmatic-hydrothermal systems using the chemistry of gas emissions, which I believe addresses some key challenges in the volcanology field today. Clear increases in magmatic gases during unrest periods suggest that outgassing occurs in episodic bursts. These episodes are not always tied to eruptions or mafic magma recharge in the upper-crust, but can be triggered by fluid accumulation from magma evolution or earthquakes. The permeability increase in the crust triggered by earthquakes can also favor magmatic outgassing from evolved upper-crustal reservoirs at high-crystallinity.

These findings are valuable for monitoring volcanoes during both quiescence and unrest, and for understanding the physical state of shallow magma reservoirs. This recognition fuels my passion for advancing geochemical research and underscores the importance of applied geochemistry for understanding how volcanoes behave. I’m deeply grateful for this award and the support from my mentors and colleagues throughout this journey.