Roberto Davoli

Nationality: Italian
Institution: LMU München
Country: Germany
Research Title: Evolution of permeability in Krafla’s geothermal field and associated seismo-acoustic patterns

PROJECT SUMMARY

This project focuses on the Krafla volcanic system in Iceland and it consists in mainly laboratory-based experiments to shed light on the evolution of permeable structures with respect to ongoing alteration in Krafla’s hot geothermal field as well as geophysical signals associated with this evolution. The physico-chemical and textural characterization of rocks comprising Krafla’s shallow subsurface structure is a fundamental part of this project and that is why we will conduct this on samples from field surveys as well as drill cuttings. Samples with varying overall permeability will then be analysed for their seismo-acoustic (AE) pattern once subjected to volatile flux in order to understand subsurface volatile movement, its associated geophysical signals and its evolution in time.

Scientific Background

I have graduated with a BSc in Geological Sciences at Sapienza University of Rome in 2017. In 2018 I moved to Granada, Spain, where I obtained two MSc titles from the University of Granada, the first one in Geophysics and Meteorology (specialization in Geophysics) and the second in Geology Applied to Mineral and Energy Resources (specialization in Energy Resources). My two Master’s theses were of seismological nature. In the first thesis I located events occurred during 2018 and the beginning of 2019 in the Bransfield Strait, which is located in the Antarctic Ocean and it’s dominated by seismic and volcanic activity, while during the second thesis I expanded the list of located earthquakes and I started studying the seismic anisotropy in the upper crust by examining the shear-wave splitting phenomenon.
To enrich my knowledge on the subject, I did a two-month-long Erasmus+ Traineeship at the National and Kapodistrian University. During my traineeship I had the opportunity to learn how to use specific scientific software of shear-wave splitting analysis and to participate in field work for the installation of seismic stations.