Research Field Campaign in the Nisyros Volcanic Caldera

From 27 January to 3 February 2026, a joint research team from the University of Florence and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) carried out an intensive field campaign in the volcanic caldera of Nisyros.

The team included Prof. Franco Tassi, Prof. Orlando Vaselli, and Dr. Rebecca Biagi from the Department of Earth Sciences of the University of Florence, together with Prof. Ariadne Argyraki from the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment of NKUA, and the students Nefeli Sereti and Asimina Paschalinou.

During the campaign, the researchers conducted high-resolution scanning of the central caldera of Nisyros, approximately 3.8 km in diameter, including the hydrothermal vent field and active fumaroles. Using high-sensitivity sensors, the team measured soil gas emissions, focusing on carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄).

The main objective of the study is to produce detailed spatial maps of soil and fumarolic CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes and to quantify the endogenous gas output of the volcanic system.

This research significantly contributes to the long-term monitoring of gas emissions in the Nisyros volcanic vent field, while also providing valuable field research experience for the participating Greek students.