Volcanism is a geological process that has significant socio-economic implications due to its short and long term associated hazards, which include their direct impact but also potential global atmospheric effects. Therefore, understanding the causes and effects of volcanism is of major importance to minimise its risks. Deciphering how volcanism works and how we can anticipate the occurrence of volcanic eruptions, require first to fully understand how its main driving force, magma, forms, evolves and moves across the lithosphere.

PROPOSAL  EMAIL  WEBSITE

During the 2010-2015 ILP funding period two independent task forces have generated substantial progress on the research foci ‘Bridging the gap from microseismicity to large earthquakes’ (Bohnhoff, ILP task force III) and ‘Numerical geomechanical modelling of processes in the lithosphere’ (Heidbach, ILP task force VII). The fact that both task forces are now coming to an end while great challenges lie ahead triggered discussion on how to best follow up the addressing the pending key questions. Here, we propose to continue both topics together and in a complementary way in the framework of a unified proposal for a new task force for the new ILP funding period 2015-2020.

PROPOSAL  EMAIL

The subduction of the continental lithosphere into Earth’s interior leads to dramatic changes in the dynamics of the mantle as well as seismic and volcanic activities at the convergent systems. The geological processes that resulted from the continental crust-mantle interaction are complex and diverse and may evolve into different scenarios. One well-accepted model is that the Si-rich continental material keeps subducting into the mid-upper mantle where it is subjected to partial melting, thus causing volcanic events. However, experimental studies have shown that a part of the crustal material that delaminated and avoided melting may be modified to become denser than surrounding mantle.

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PROPOSAL  EMAIL

Thermo-mechanical geodynamic multi-process modelling is a large, growing, important scientific field that has become an independent branch of Earth Sciences, which is naturally cross-disciplinary and highly integrative. Modeling thus has also become a versatile tool for validation and interpretation of geophysical and  and geological observations. Current challenges are multifold, going from better understanding of physics of the geodynamic and geological processes to bridging the gaps between different spatial and temporal scales of cross-disciplinary observation and elaboration of new geodynamic hypotheses and concepts.

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Subduction zones play a fundamental role in our daily life. Half of the world population lives on top or nearby one of them, in coastal areas repeatedly devastated by large earthquakes, tsunamis or volcanic eruptions. Giant earthquakes occurring on subduction zone mega-thrusts (Mw close to 9 or larger) are indeed amongst the deadliest natural hazards. During the last decade, very large earthquakes took many lives (Sumatra, Chile, Japan) and, according to the World Bank, over 200 billion € for the 2011 Japan earthquake.

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TOPO-EUROPE - 4D Topography Evolution in Europe: Uplift, Subsidence and Sea Level Rise

stands for the geoscience of coupled deep Earth and surface processes, taking Europe and its continental margins as a natuarl laboratory. TOPO-EUROPE pursues an integrated solid Earth science approach, closely linking monitoring ans seismic imaging with reconstruction of the geological record and process modeling.

In the TOPO-EUROPE EUROCORES (European large-scale collaborative research effort) coordinated by the European Science Foundation, researchers from 23 countries are involved funding 60 positions for young researchers.

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MEDYNA - Maghreb-EU integrated research on geodynamics, geohazards, and applied geology in North West Africa

PROPOSAL  EMAIL