Gabriele Lanzafame
Research Interests
Petrology, Volcanology and Geochemistry. Dynamics of magma and lava degassing and crystallization.
Academic Position
Associate Professor in Geochemistry and Volcanology (GEOS-01/C) - University of Catania, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences.
Education
2013: PhD – Petrology and Petrography. Dissertation: Influence of volcanic and intratelluric conditions on the processes of nucleation and growth of crystal phases in magmas and lavas. Advisor: Prof. Antonio Pezzino, Supervisor: Prof. Carmelo Ferlito (University of Catania)
2009: MSc – Applied Geology. Dissertation: Study of the stratigraphic section of Skaros, Santorini, Greece: Alternance of mixing and fractionation in magmas evolution. Supervisor: Prof. Carmelo Ferlito (University of Catania). Graduated Summa Cum Laude
2006: BA – Geosciences. Dissertation: Study of the SO2 degassing at Mount Etna. Supervisor: Prof. Carmelo Ferlito (University of Catania)
Professional Experiences
2024 to 2025: Post-Doc Researcher - University of Catania, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences.
2019 to 2024: Researcher (TDA) in Geochemistry and Volcanology (GEO08) - University of Catania, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences.
2015 to 2018: Post-Doc Researcher Associate - Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, Basovizza (Italy). Supervisor: Lucia Mancini. Synchrotron X-Ray computed microtomography, imaging and 3D analysis of crystals and pores in igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.
Other
National Scientific Qualification (Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale) as FullProfessor for the competition sector 04/A1 from 08/06/2026 to 08/06/2038.
National Scientific Qualification (Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale) as Associate Professor for the competition sector 04/A1 from 05/11/2020 to 05/11/2031.
Principal Investigator of the project “Kinetics of Lava Flow Crystallization” (KLARA), funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research through the “Competitive procedure for the development of fundamental research activities, under the Italian Science Fund 2022–2023” (FIS 2 Call). PE10 sector – Consolidator Grant.
Partecipant to the PRIN2022 (PNRR) project “Implementing advanced elemental and chemical analysis for quality, safety and traceability assessment of PGI and PDO agri-food products”.
Partecipant to the CARG project - Convention between ISPRA, the Basin Authority of the Hydrographic District of Sicily, and the University of Catania for the creation of Geological and Geothematic Sheet No. 646 'Siracusa'. Main duties: field mapping, petrographic and petrologic analysis of Cretaceous to Pliocenic volcanics of the Iblean area.
Partecipant to the DREAMIN project– Digital REmote Access to Museums and research Infrastructures. University of Catania, PI: Professor Germana Barone.
Congress and workshop organization
Member of the Scientific committee of the “7th Alfred Rittmann Conference”. Catania, 7-9 July 2026.
Member of the Scientific committee of the SGI-SIMP 2026 Congress. Padova, 15-17 September 2026.
Organizer and conveener of the “3rd Advanced X-ray characterization technologies in Earth Sciences” Workshop. Catania, 22-24 October 2025.
Organizer and conveener of the “Advanced X-ray characterization technologies in Earth Sciences” Workshop. ZAG, Ljubljana (Slovenia), 27-29 February 2024.
Organizer of the “Synchrotron- and laboratory-based X-ray computed microtomography: Applications in the Earth sciences” Workshop. Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste and University of Catania, 28-29 September 2022.
Organizer and conveener of the “Geopolymers Congress 2022 – Le nuove frontiere dei materiali innovativi e green nel restauro e nell’edilizia”, Catania, 24-25 February 2022.
Conveener at SILS Conference 2025. MS5 “Advanced characterization of functional materials: from catalysts to geomaterials”. Cagliari, 9-11 September 2025.
Conveener at SIMP-SGI 2025 Congress. Session S6: From deep feeding systems to eruptive processes: petrologic tools for probing volcanoes. Padova, 16-18 September 2025.
Conveener at “Alfred Rittmann Conference”, Session S10: Plumbing system and volcano dynamics: petrologic tools for tracking magmas from storage to eruption. Catania, September – 2024.
Conveener at “Alfred Rittmann Conference”, Session S04: Behind the scenes: advanced methodologies to unravel the architecture, dynamics and timescales of volcanic plumbing systems. Catania, 29 September – 01 October 2022.
Conveener at SGI-SIMP 2018 Congress. Session P23: Magma genesis and transport. Catania, 12-14 September 2018.
Third Mission
Speaker at ‘Sharpernight - Notte dei Ricercatori’ September 2021 - “Dagli elementi chimici alle rocce”
Speaker at ‘Sharpernight - Notte dei Ricercatori’ November 2020 - “Alla scoperta dei vulcani”
Speaker at ‘Sharpernight - Notte dei Ricercatori’, September 2019 - “Gli elementi chimici nelle rocce”
Field trip leader at InsegnaciEtna, 17 October 2021 – Visit of the ‘Monte Grosso – Monte Gemmellaro’ trail (Mount Etna)
Responsible and teaching tutor for the PCTO project 2023-2024: Vulcani e popolazione: rischi e risorse dell’attività eruttiva Etnea.
Teaching tutor for the PCTO project 2023-2024: L'Etna tra georisorse e sostenibilita'.
Teaching tutor for the PCTO projects 2022-2023: 1) Il pianeta dinamico: un viaggio per comprendere i meccanismi geologici dalla macro alla micro-scala; 2) L'Etna tra georisorse e sostenibilita'.
Responsible and Teaching tutor for the PCTO project 2022-2023: L'uomo e il vulcano, rischi e risorse dell'attività eruttiva Etnea.
Teaching tutor for the PCTO project 2021-2022: La scienza e l'ambiente con particolare riferimento all’Etna e alle sue eruzioni dal 1669.
Field trip leader for the Open University (Milton Keynes, United Kingdom), 18-23 September 2022 – Visit of Mount Etna, Vulcano and Stromboli islands.
Service
2020-2021: Guest editor of the Special issue “Magma Ascent and Evolution: Insights from Petrology and Geochemistry” for MDPI MINERALS Journal.
2017 to present: Manuscript Reviewer for international journals: Nature Communications (1), AGU Books (1), Journal of Instrumentation (1), Bollettino di Geofisica Teorica e Applicata (1), Frontiers in Earth Sciences (3), Marine and Petroleum Geology (1), American Mineralogist (1), Results in Earth Sciences (1), International Journal of Earth Sciences (1), Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology (1), Lithos (1), Minerals (1).
2022 to present: Member of the EXCITE TNA Scientific Review Panel
2024 to present: Member of the ILGE TNA/NOA Scientific Review Panel
Member of the evaluation committee for the Procedure for the Assignment of Technical-Scientific Equipment Supply for Analytical Laboratories – within the scope of PIR01_00013 – Italian Research Infrastructure for Geosciences – GRINT (CUP: D57E19000020007).