Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides or tsunamis are perceived as suddenly occurring natural hazards that can significantly affect our lives through their impacts and damage. Often, these natural events are at the end of a long chain of processes. In the section Physics of Earthquakes and Volcanoes, we investigate these processes from their formation in the subsurface and their interaction with tectonics, fluid and magma transport, to the monitoring of relevant parameters on the surface and the characterization of individual damaging events and their mechanisms.

To this end, we use and combine approaches from seismology, volcanology, remote sensing and laboratory experiments, and we develop efficient numerical methods for evaluating the different types of data from ground stations, boreholes, drones or satellites. We use state-of-the-art statistical methods to explore precursor processes and improve forecasts.

Our work aims to help society and people to better cope with the many natural hazards and to better understand the geophysical processes in the Earth. To this end, we work closely with scientists at the GFZ, in Germany and internationally, and publish our results and models in high-impact, open-access journals.