European Research Council Synergy grant for research that could help mitigate the hazards of unexpected volcano eruptions

Grant and Award Announcement

UCD RESEARCH & INNOVATION

University College Dublin: Is it possible to mitigate the risk of volcanic disasters? Dr Claire Harnett, an Assistant Professor at University College Dublin (UCD), and a team of researchers from Germany, Sweden and France have won a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Synergy grant to explore this complex question. The project will receive €10 million in EU funding.

The ERC Synergy grants support ambitious researchers to join forces and pool different skills, knowledge and resources to push the frontiers of our knowledge and address some of the world’s most formidable problems.

Dr Harnett specialises in numerical modelling of volcanic environments. She will work with an international team on the ‘ROTTnROCK’ project which aims to advance knowledge of volcanic processes that could ultimately help to predict and mitigate the hazards of unexpected eruptions and avert many tragedies worldwide.

On receiving news of the ERC Synergy grant, Dr Harnett said: “We are really excited to get started on this project, which builds on our growing momentum to understand currently unforeseen volcanic hazards. One of the exciting aspects about the Synergy award is the capacity to build expert teams that will integrate information across four key disciplines (rock physics, geochemistry, remote sensing, and computational modelling) to provide a step-change in our knowledge around volcanic eruptions that are driven by processes other than magma ascent. I would like to thank the Ad Astra Fellow programme and Enterprise Ireland for their support.”

What is ROTTnROCK?

Volcanic eruptions threaten more than 10% of the world's population. Scientists monitor volcanoes to discover and understand possible risks and to provide early warnings of eruptions. But despite technological and scientific breakthroughs, certain volcanoes continue to surprise us with sudden and powerful eruptions or catastrophic collapses.

Previous research has shown that a process called hydrothermal alteration, which changes the chemical and physical characteristics of rocks inside a volcano, can turn them rotten and unstable. However, scientists still don't understand how these "soft" volcanoes tend to have unexpected outbursts. This project intends to change our knowledge of hydrothermal alteration and its influence on volcanic risks by merging multiple scientific disciplines such as remote sensing, mineralogy, chemistry, rock mechanics, and modelling. This understanding could help us predict and mitigate the hazards of unexpected volcanic explosions, eventually averting many tragedies worldwide.

This project will draw on the expertise of leading international researchers across key disciplines. Dr Harnett will work with Professor Thomas R. Walter, GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, Germany (Lead PI, ) Professor Valentin R. Troll, Dept. of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden, and Professor Michael J. Heap, Strasbourg Institute of Earth & Environment, France.

37 research groups across Europe were announced as recipients of 2023 ERC Synergy grants - with a total value of €359 million - to tackle complex scientific questions. Recipients include fellow UCD researcher Professor Emma Teeling, whose project ‘BATPROTECT’ will make significant advancements in our understanding of how bats live longer, healthier lives, and open up new possibilities for improving human health and disease outcomes. This brings UCD’s total of current ERC Synergy grants to three.

UCD Interim Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact, Professor Helen Roche said: “We are immensely proud of Professor Teeling and Dr Harnett in their achievement. UCD is ranked number one in Ireland and 23rd among higher education institutions in Europe for Horizon Europe funding. These awards really exemplify the excellence of our outstanding researchers, who are building important international collaborations to address global challenges. I congratulate the winners and look forward to following their exciting work.”

Iliana Ivanova, ERC Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: “Some scientific questions are too complex to be addressed by researchers working on their own. Challenges such as climate change or ageing span research disciplines and call for diverse methods, skills and resources. This is why the European Research Council today awarded 37 Synergy Grants, empowering small groups of top researchers working across disciplines to tackle serious problems. I wish them success in this important work.”

ERC President Professor Maria Leptin said: “Congratulations to all the winners! The selected projects are shining examples of audacious scientific thinking, and I eagerly await the outcomes of these collaborative endeavours. I am also happy to see some European researchers teaming up with peers across several continents. Together, they are well-equipped to tackle the substantial scientific questions that our world is yearning to find answers to."

The ERC Synergy Grant scheme is part of the EU's research and innovation programme, Horizon Europe. Applicants submitted 395 proposals in this call. The 37 winning projects involve 135 researchers who will carry out their projects at 114 universities and research centres in 19 countries across Europe and beyond.