Students at Stromboli VolcanoHundreds of Eruptions in Eight Days

3 September 2025, by Lisa Ischebeck, Annalena Friedrich, Carina Dittmers, Carolin Egelhof, Daniel Peppel und Jonas Stancel

Photo: UHH/C. Dittmers

An eruption typical of Stromboli with an ash cloud.

Stromboli is one of the most active volcanoes in Europe. In May 2025, we – four Master's students and two Bachelor's students from the Institute of Geophysics at the University of Hamburg at CEN – set off on a two-week research trip to the volcanic island of Stromboli in Italy.

Our goal was to investigate eruptive processes using a sustainable, multi-parametric approach, while learning about and applying methods of volcanic monitoring. The excursion was a student project and was accompanied by an experienced lecturer from the institute, who assisted us with the handling of the equipment and organisational procedures.

The fieldwork was accompanied by logistical and technical challenges: transporting around 300 kilograms of equipment, including several 17 kg batteries, along hiking trails to the measuring stations was demanding. Added to this were heat and recurring technical problems. Nevertheless, we succeeded in obtaining a good and comprehensive data set.

During the excursion, we used various measuring systems: a seismometer, an infrasound sensor, an HD video camera, a thermal imaging camera and an SO2 camera. Over a period of eight days, continuous recordings were made using a seismo-acoustic station and a visual station (HD camera, thermal imaging camera and SO­­­2 camera). All devices were synchronised via GPS. The power supply was provided by a portable solar panel for daily battery charging and a power bank for the SO2 camera.

By analysing synchronised seismic and acoustic signals with recordings from video and thermal cameras, we aim to characterise eruptive phases in detail. Over four consecutive days of measurement, we were able to document several hundred eruptions of different types using all of our equipment. In addition, we recorded the time, acoustic characteristics, source crater and visual impressions of each eruption in a field book. These records enable us to systematically compare the data with our observations and identify typical patterns in Stromboli's activity.

The excursion gave us the opportunity to implement a project that we initiated and carried out entirely on our own: from submitting the application to planning and organising the trip to using the measuring instruments on Stromboli, we students were responsible for everything. In the process, we mastered both organisational and technical challenges and gained valuable practical experience in volcanology. The project was funded as a student research group as part of the University of Hamburg's Excellence Strategy – a format that gave us the unique opportunity to directly apply our theoretical knowledge to a research project we developed ourselves.

We are currently in the analysis phase. Initial results confirm that we have been able to collect an exciting and diverse data set that will form the basis for further research and projects.

We would like to thank the University of Hamburg for its funding as part of its Excellence Strategy, as well as the Institute of Geophysics for its logistical and technical support. Without this support, a project of this nature would not have been possible.