(AGENPARL) – Mon 15 September 2025 INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF GEOPHYSICS «ENZO BOSCHI»
43rd Course:
FRONTIERS IN GEOPHYSICS
FOR THE THIRD MILLENNIUM
E R I CE
S I C I LY
22-26
SEPTEMBER
UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF:
Sicilian Regional
Government
Istituto Nazionale
di Geofisica e Vulcanologia
University of Bologna
Eucentre
PURPOSE OF THE COURSE
Enzo Boschi, the former president of the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia
(INGV), passed away on 22 December 2018. In 1984 he founded the International
School of Geophysics, bringing to Erice the foremost geophysicists worldwide
over nearly 30 years. The progress of the School of Geophysics proceeded hand in
hand with the development of Italian seismology and volcanology, following the
renascence of Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica (ING) in 1982, and then the onset of the
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) in 2001.
Thanks to the president of the Ettore Majorana Centre – Professor Antonino Zichichi
– the School has been recently entitled to Enzo Boschi. The 43rd course is intended
to provide an overview of the most recent accomplishments in the main areas of
solid and fluid Earth geophysics, extending from seismology to volcanology, from
climate changes to space weather. Special emphasis will be given to the mutual
interactions of geophysical phenomena, such as the effects of volcanic activity on
climate evolution, and to the extraordinary advancements that all Earth observation
systems have achieved over the past 40 years.
We will touch upon some of the main challenges faced by geophysicists worldwide:
from modeling the dynamics of the Earth interior, to understanding and anticipating
fault behavior, to improving our capability to issue early warnings of an impending
large earthquake, volcanic eruption, or major solar storm, based on the use of new
technologies and big-data strategies. The course will provide a high-level forum for
young promising post-doc scientists and PhD students, who will have the opportunity
to meet leading scientists in their respective fields of expertise, thus reviving the goals
and the atmosphere of previous courses of the International School of Geophysics.
POETIC TOUCH
According to legend, Erice, son of Venus and Neptune, founded a small town on
top of a mountain (750 metres above sea level) more than three thousand years
ago. The founder of modern history — i.e. the recording of events in a methodic and
chronological sequence as they really happened without reference to mythical causes
— the great Thucydides (~500 B.C.), writing about events connected with the conquest
of Troy (1183 B.C.) said: «After the fall of Troy some Trojans on their escape from the
Achaei arrived in Sicily by boat and as they settled near the border with the Sicanians
all together they were named Elymi: their towns were Segesta and Erice.»
This inspired Virgil to describe the arrival of the Trojan royal family in Erice and the burial
of Anchise, by his son Enea, on the coast below Erice. Homer (~1000 B.C.), Theocritus
(~300 B.C.), Polybius (~200 B.C.), Virgil (~50 B.C.), Horace (~20 B.C.), and others have
celebrated this magnificent spot in Sicily in their poems. During seven centuries (XIIIXIX) the town of Erice was under the leadership of a local oligarchy, whose wisdom
assured a long period of cultural development and economic prosperity which in turn
gave rise to the many churches, monasteries and private palaces which you see today.
In Erice you can admire the Castle of Venus, the Cyclopean Walls (~800 B.C.) and
the Gothic Cathedral (~1300 A.D.). Erice is at present a mixture of ancient and
medieval architecture. Other masterpieces of ancient civilization are to be found in
the neighbourhood: at Motya (Phoenician), Segesta (Elymian), and Selinunte (Greek).
On the Aegadian Islands – theatre of the decisive naval battle of the first Punic War
(264-241 B.C.) – suggestive neolithic and paleolithic vestiges are still visible: the
grottoes of Favignana, the carvings and murals of Levanzo. Splendid beaches are to
be found at San Vito Lo Capo, Scopello, and Cornino, and a wild and rocky coast
around Monte Cofano: all at less than one hour’s drive from Erice.
More information about the other activities of the
“ETTORE MAJORANA” FOUNDATION AND CENTRE FOR SCIENTIFIC CULTURE
can be found on the WWW at the following address: http://www.ccsem.infn.it
Please note
Participants are expected to arrive at Palermo or Trapani airport, or directly in Erice,
on 22 September, no later than 6 p.m.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
OF GEOPHYSICS «ENZO BOSCHI»
Director: Fabio FLORINDO
43rd Workshop:
FRONTIERS IN GEOPHYSICS FOR THE THIRD MILLENNIUM
Directors:
Maria Elina BELARDINELLI | Bologna University, Italy
Paolo GASPERINI | Bologna University, Italy
Alberto MICHELINI | INGV, Rome, Italy
Daniela PANTOSTI | INGV, Rome, Italy
Massimo POMPILIO | INGV, Pisa, Italy
Gianluca VALENSISE | INGV, Rome, Italy
Organizational support:
Silvia NARDI | INGV, Rome, Italy
43rd Course
FRONTIERS
IN GEOPHYSICS
FOR THE THIRD
MILLENNIUM
DAY 1
23 September
MORNING
GLOBAL CHALLENGES
8:30 – 8:45
Director &
Conveners
Welcome to the 43rd Course of the
International School of Geophysics
8:45 – 9:30
G. Spada
Earth’s dynamics in the centennial
to millennial time scales
9:30 – 10:15
S. Wiemer
How predictable are earthquakes?
10:15 – 11:00
L. Gulia
Is the worst over?
Real-Time events discrimination with the
Foreshock Traffic Light System
11:00 – 11:30
Coffee break and poster session
11:30-12:15
G. EkstrÖm
Global Earthquake Seismology
11:15-13:00
J. Tromp
Global Full Waveform Inversion
13:00 – 15:00
Lunch
AFTERNOON
UNDERSTANDING GLOBAL ISSUES AND THREATS
15:00 – 15:45
G. Beroza
Machine-Learning-based earthquake
monitoring
15:45 – 16:30
D. Wald
Evolving strong motion metrics for use
in engineering analyses
16:30 – 17:00
Coffee break and poster session
17:00 – 17:45
G. Di Toro
The contribution of rock mechanics
laboratory studies to earthquake research
17:45 – 18:30
D. Giardini
Major research infrastructures
for 21st century Geophysics
43rd Course
FRONTIERS
IN GEOPHYSICS
FOR THE THIRD
MILLENNIUM
DAY 2
24 September
MORNING
DEALING WITH ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIETAL ISSUES
8:30 – 9:15
L. De Santis
Geophysical and geological data in the polar
regions: tools to investigate past and modern
environmental changes and ice sheet dynamics
9:15 – 10:00
N. Pinardi
The science of ocean and coastal predictions
10:00 – 10:45
A. Neri
Modelling explosive eruptions and their
hazards; achievements and perspectives
10:45 – 11:30
Coffee break and poster session
11:30 – 12:15
M. Rosi
Managing volcanic risks in densely
populated areas
12:15 – 13:00
R. Pinho
From Earthquake Early Warning to
Autonomous Seismic Protection:
an integrated, evolutionary approach
to societal resilience
13:00 – 15:00
Lunch
AFTERNOON
ENZO BOSCHI: MEMORIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
15:00 – 15:45
A. Michelini
1982-2025: The evolution of INGV
seismological and geodetic networks
15:45 – 16:30
S. Branca
Frontiers of volcanological observatories:
the case of INGV’s Etna Observatory
16:30 – 17.00
Coffee break and poster session
17:00 – 17:30
T. Pepe
G. Valensise
The legacy of Enzo Boschi
17:30-18:00
P. Gasperini
The school of Geophysics in Bologna
A. Amato
Enzo Boschi and the l’Aquila trial
18:00-18:30
43rd Course
FRONTIERS
IN GEOPHYSICS
FOR THE THIRD
MILLENNIUM
DAY 3
25 September
MORNING
EARTHQUAKE OBSERVATIONS AT DIFFERENT SCALES
8:30-9:15
R. Bilham
The influence of variations of Polflucht-Kraft
on lithospheric seismicity
9:15-10:00
R. Bürgmann
Variable fault coupling and earthquake
potential along the Hayward Fault
10:00-10:45
S. Wesnousky
Past and future fault rupture lengths
for seismic source characterization:
insights from Earthquake Geology
10:45-11:30
Coffee break and poster session
11:30-12:15
M.A. Gutscher
Submarine fiber optic cables: a new
technology to study earthquakes and the
seafloor environment – The FOCUS project
12:15-13:00
R. Arrowsmith
Adapting new tools to advance Earthquake
Geology observations and understanding
13:00-15:00
Lunch
AFTERNOON
EARTHQUAKE EARLY WARNING AND RISK MITIGATION
15:00 – 15:45
A. Zollo
Seconds that matter: the physical basis and
effective use of Earthquake Early Warning
15:45 – 16:30
R. Allen
Frontiers in hazard reduction using
massive sensor networks
16:30 – 17:00
Coffee break and poster session
17:00 – 17:45
I. Iervolino
17:45-18:30
Closing remarks
The time-space scales of seismic risk:
from Earthquake Early Warning to the
life-cycle of civil infrastructure
POSTERS
1. Abedi F. et al.
Seismic Behavior of Active Faults Through
Multisource Optical Imagery: From Satellite
to Drone Resolution (case study: The North
Zanjan fault)
2. Allegra M. et al.
Leveraging Deep Learning for Detecting
Low-Frequency Seismic Events in DAS Data at
Vulcano Island, Italy
3. ARISTOTLE-ENHSP Team
ARISTOTLE-ENHSP Project: a multi-hazard
scientific expert assessment service for the
EC Emergency Response Coordination Center
4. Avella M. et al.
Crustal anisotropy variations at Mt. Etna
for monitoring local stress perturbations
5. Bevilacqua A. et al.
Data analysis of volcanic seismicity as a
function of ground uplift during the ongoing
unrest of Campi Flegrei caldera (Italy)
6. Biondini E. et al.
Probabilistic earthquake forecasting in Italy:
bridging the gap between alarm-based and
probability-based models
7. Bottari C. et al.
Earthquakes Lost in Time: A Multidisciplinary
Case Study from Segesta (NW Sicily)
Combining Archaeoseismology, Structural
Geology, and Geophysics
8. Brooks S.J. et al.
InSAR analysis on Mt. Etna: preliminary
insights into mid-term active faulting
dynamics
9. Caredda E. et al.
Integrating Deep Learning and Seismological
Analysis to characterize microseismicity
in the Val d’Agri Region (Southern Italy)
10. Corsaro M.
Leveraging Transformer Models and
Distributed Acoustic Sensing to improve
seismic monitoring in Campi Flegrei
11. Cuius A. et al.
Improving Seismic Hazard Assessment
Through Physics-Based Source Modeling
12. D’Amico S. et al.
Detecting Meteorological Tsunamis Using
Coastal Seismometers: The Gulf of Finland
Experiment
13. De Paolo E.
A trans-dimensional inversion algorithm
for volcanic source modeling in finite element
domain
14. D’Ippolito G. et al.
Laboratory earthquakes under hydrothermal
conditions in Neapolitan Yeallow Tuff (Campi
Flegrei, Italy)
15. Dubois Z. et al.
Hydrological signature in the current surface
deformation of the East Adriatic by InSAR
and GNSS
16. Ferrara F. et al.
Co-Volcanic Ionospheric Disturbances during
Mt. Etna eruptions
17. Ferrara G. et al.
Reprocessing vintage seismic reflection
profiles in the offshore Campi Flegrei Caldera
18. Fonzetti R. et al.
Shaking Things Up with Deep Learning:
From Training to Model Benchmarking and
Seismic Catalog Building
19. Hronek M. et al.
Inverse physics-based modeling of the 2016
Mw 6.1 Tottori Earthquake
20. Lo Bue R. et al.
29. Sardeli E. et al.
21. Longobardi V. et al.
30. Scotto di Uccio F. et al.
Tracking Seismic Velocity Variations during
the 2021 Unrest at Vulcano Island through
Ambient Noise Analysis
Implementation and Test of an onsite
Earthquake Early Warning and Rapid
Response system in the volcanic caldera
of Campi Flegrei during the unrest
22. Marcou S. et al.
Ground Motion Observations from the
MyShake Smartphone Network and Future
Directions
23. Menichelli I. et al.
Seismic imaging of the Adria lithospheric
structure from the joint inversion of
teleseismic and ambient noise data
24. Nikolopoulou I. et al.
The M 5.9 Strofades Earthquake Sequence:
Relocation, Focal Mechanism Solutions
and Stress Inversion
25. Parrino N. et al.
Impressa Seismica: Machine Learning
Analysis of Fault-Driven Landscapes
26. Petito Penna R. et al.
An automatic waveform modeling method to
estimate Earthquake source and attenuation
parameters
27. Rappisi F. et al.
Crustal structure of the Kivu Rift and Virunga
Volcanic Province (DR Congo) from P-wave
anisotropic tomography
28. Ravidà G. et al.
Imaging the shallow crust in the western
Lake Garda region by high-resolution seismic
profiling: Preliminary results
The 2025 Santorini Swarm: Spatiotemporal
Distribution and Coulomb Stress Changes.
Preliminary Results
An automatic workflow for microseismicity
characterization in Southern Apennines
(Southern Italy)
31. Sollai A. et al.
Earthquake Reflection Imaging and Migration:
Application to the Campi Flegrei Caldera
32. Spassiani I. et al.
Reconciling the Irreconcilable: Window-Based
VS Stochastic Declustering Algorithms
33. Tavani F. et al.
Deep Learning Python-Based Workflow for
Automated Focal Mechanism Determination
of Small to Moderate Earthquakes in Italy
34. Triantafyllou I. et al.
The Greek Earthquake Impact Database:
AD 1800-2020
35. Tringali G. et al.
New paleoseismology and morphotectonic
findings along the Fiandaca Fault and their
relationships with the Etna volcano flank
dynamics
36. Vallianatos F.
The Santorini-Amorgos, 2025 volcano-tectonic
sequence in terms of statistical physics
37. Varchetta F. et al.
Regional High-Quality Ambient Noise Models
for Italy: Development and Application
to the Italian Seismic Network
ENZO BOSCHI
Seismologist
Arezzo 1942 | Bologna 2018
Enzo Boschi passed away on 22 December 2018, at the age of 76.
Born in Arezzo, Tuscany, he graduated in Physics from Bologna
University in 1968. His initial scientific interests included the
physics of the Earth’s interior, the earthquake source and the
mechanisms from which volcano eruptions originate.
At the beginning of his scientific
career Enzo Boschi was visiting
scientist at the Laboratoire des
Hautes Pressions (CNRS, Paris),
at the Cavendish Laboratory
(Cambridge University), and at
the Department of Earth and
Planetary Sciences (Harvard
University). In 1973 he became
adjunct professor of Geophysics
at the recently-established
University of Ancona, and later
full professor at the University
of Bologna, where from 1977
to 2012 he held the chair of
Seismology.
After engaging in the “Progetto
Finalizzato Geodinamica” of
Italy’s Consiglio Nazionale
delle Ricerche (CNR) and in the
early activities of the “Gruppo
Nazionale per la Difesa dai
Terremoti” (GNDT), in 1983 Enzo
Boschi became president of the
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica
(ING). He remained in charge
until 2001, when ING merged
with Osservatorio Vesuviano and
three institutes from CNR into
the new Istituto Nazionale di
Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV).
He then chaired the INGV from its
very foundation up to 2011.
During his nearly 30 year-long
presidency, Enzo Boschi played
an active role in the creation of
the Protezione Civile (National
Civil Protection). From 1986 to
2000 he chaired the Seismic
Risk Section of the Commissione
Grandi Rischi (Major Risks
Commission). Later on, he
continued to be a member of the
Commission as INGV president.
Meanwhile, Enzo Boschi
fostered the inception and the
Enzo Boschi con Renato Funiciello, Claudio Eva e Paolo Scandone
development of the modern
Italian Seismic Network,
supported by the National
Civil Protection. Within three
decades, this network evolved
from a set of sparse, vertical
component seismometers, to
a dense network of more than
400 digital three-component
sensors covering the entire
country. This nationwide network
was complemented by a stateof-the-art network comprising
several very broadband
seismometers deployed around
the Mediterranean basin
(MedNet Network). Later on, INGV
extended its research topics
to Physical Oceanography and
to the investigation of climate
changes. Under Enzo Boschi’s
guidance, INGV had leading roles
in many international research
projects within major programs
run by the United Nations,
UNESCO, NSF, NATO, and the
European Commission.
Among several subsequent
successful endeavors, his
masterpiece was to turn a small
institute made up of a few
researchers and technicians with
limited scientific instruments
into one of the top worldwide
institutions for geophysics and
volcanology, ranking high in
terms of publications, citations
and reputation.
Starting in 1984, Enzo Boschi
was also appointed director
of the International School
of Geophysics at the Ettore
Majorana Cultural Centre in
Erice, Sicily, where he gathered
scientists of the highest repute
in the Earth Sciences, young
scientists at the beginning of
their career, and PhD students.
The informal yet rigorous
setting of the School and of the
Centre contributed to creating
valuable scientific connections
and promoting collaborations;
eventually, these liaisons
brought a large number of Italian
geophysicists abroad, to learn
and grow professionally by
visiting top level universities and
research centers worldwide. In
this framework, Enzo Boschi’s
support to the ideas and
ambitions of “his researchers”
was always enthusiastic.
As INGV President, on 30 March
2009 Enzo Boschi was invited
to attend an expert meeting in
L’Aquila: a gathering organized
by the National Civil Protection
and dedicated to the sequence
of earthquakes that had been
affecting the area for months.
On 6 April 2009 a Mw 6.3
earthquake struck L’Aquila and
its surroundings, killing over
300 people. Enzo Boschi and
six other meeting attendants
were indicted for manslaughter,
under the motivation of having
put in place an inaccurate
appraisal of the seismic risk,
and of having reassured the
population about the probability
of an impending destructive
earthquake. All defendants were
initially sentenced to six years
of imprisonment: but two years
later the decision was overtaken
by the second instance sentence,
which acquitted six of them
on the grounds that the case
was unfounded. Enzo Boschi’s
acquittal was later confirmed by
the Supreme Court.
During his long career, Enzo
Boschi has received several
scientific and civil awards
and honors. Member of the
Accademia dei Lincei and of
the Academia Europaea, fellow
of AGU and AAAS, in December
2006 he was nominated
Cavaliere di Gran Croce, Ordine al
merito della Repubblica Italiana
by President Giorgio Napolitano.
He was also very popular with
TV and media audiences, as he
was always interviewed in the
aftermath of earthquakes and
eruptions.
By combining his passion and
rigorousness for scientific
research with a full commitment
toward the society, he never
missed the opportunity to remark
that proper building and city
planning are the only means to
reduce earthquake casualties
and material losses: a lesson
that the Italians unfortunately
have not learned yet. In his
last years, he had become