Agustin P. Cabrera

PhD candidate

Project Title
The architecture, emplacement and rheological behaviour of rhyolite lava flows from the Aeolian Islands, Italy

Project Information
 The aim of the research for my PhD is to understand the morphological, structural and textural characteristics of rhyolite lava flows to further improve understanding of their rheological behaviour.
My PhD involves the study of the two most recent rhyolite lava eruptions at the Aeolian Islands, Italy, the Rocche Rosse lava flow (729 AD) on Lipari Island and the Pietre Cotte lava flow (1739 AD) on Vulcano Island. These lava flows are of particular interest because they are well preserved and young, have contrasting eruptive volumes, they are both set in a high slopes and form part of earlier explosive cycles.
In order to understand the explosive-effusive transition in rhyolite magmas, the source of vesiculation in deposits from both types of eruptive styles is evaluated on the Mt Pilato-Rocche Rosse sequence. To asses the lava flow’s emplacements, intense, field and laboratory studies are conducted on the textural facies distribution and structural lava flow arrange. Finally to achieve a rheological model, viscosity and calorimetric measurements from samples of both lava flows are performed.
Measurements are obtained for low temperature viscosity on natural samples and high temperature viscosity on remelted material using Micro penetration and Concentric cylinder apparatuses, respectively (Munich-Germany). Some of the techniques I am using to constrain the physical and chemical properties of these rocks are: Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images and EDS spectras; XRF and Electron Microprobe analyses; Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy and Synchrotron FTIR; Micro-Raman (Melbourne-Australia).

Supervisor/s
Prof Ray Cas, Dr Heather Wright & Dr Guido Giodano (Unversita di Roma Tre)