Volcanoes are powerful forces of nature that can cause large and small scale environmental change on planet Earth.  Volcanic eruptions may last from seconds to years and can immediately transform the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of their surroundings.  We are interested in how volcanoes erupt magma (lava and tephra) and gaseous components and what these processes mean for human life, deep earth processes, and the atmosphere. Our research focusses on fundamental physical and chemical behaviour underpinning volcanic activity and may someday help predict volcanic behaviour, harness their energy, and forecast how eruptions unfold. 

The Volcano Science group in Mainz comprises experts on magma rheology, geochemistry, volcanic degassing, and petrology.