Nicola Mingotti 
The interdisciplinary study of volcanic processes requires a multitude of approaches, ranging from analogue and numerical modelling to observations and fieldwork and extending to mathematics. In September 2025, a conference was held at the East African Institute for Fundamental Research in Kigali, affiliated with the University of Rwanda, a country which, along with the Democratic
Deep ocean water contains a very large reservoir of carbon, and so understanding how this water moves and mixes over time is essential for all climate models. Over the last few decades, observations have shown that passive tracers initially located in the deep ocean have gradually resurfaced, suggesting that there are pathways through which deep
How do we deliver a low-carbon future while meeting the world’s growing energy demands? On Wednesday 29 April, a webinar brought together professors and researchers from the Institute to explore practical, scalable solutions for the energy transition. Chaired by Professor Stuart Clarke, the session highlighted how fundamental research is enabling cleaner fuels, more efficient machines,
Numerical modelling is a key tool for understanding deep ocean dynamics, where observations remain sparse, particularly at submesoscales (1–30 km). Jonathan Gula, from the Laboratoire d’Océanographie Physique et Spatiale, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, uses high-resolution basin-scale and regional simulations to investigate how interactions between currents, topography, and mixing shape abyssal circulation and tracer transport. During
Water masses are large bodies of water with distinct properties. Identifying them helps us understand how the ocean moves, mixes, and transports heat, carbon, oxygen, and other properties. This usually requires detailed chemical measurements, which are typically only available in few sparse locations along ship tracks. In a new study co-authored by Dr Ali Mashayek,
To ensure that the carbon dioxide captured during industrial processes is safely stored underground, it is essential to have a detailed understanding of the different mechanisms by which CO2 is trapped in geological aquifers. PhD student Ross Shepherd has been studying the long-term, post-injection fate of carbon dioxide in deep aquifers. During today’s seminar,
During the second part of today’s seminar, PhD student Ruiyang Wang discussed the results of his recent laboratory experiments on the dissolution of capillary-trapped CO2 in the subsurface. As CO2 is captured and injected into an aquifer, some of it migrates towards topographic highs within the aquifer, while some is trapped in the pore spaces
During the first part of today’s seminar, PhD student Haihan Li presented some of the most recent results of his work on bubble plumes in electrolysis. In electrolysis cells, hydrogen and oxygen bubbles are nucleated and grow on the surface of the electrodes, until they detach from the surface and rise through the surrounding fluid,
Thin elastomeric gloves are protective equipment and essential in many occupations. Their value in the health and care sector was demonstrated during the recent Covid-19 pandemic. Most thin gloves are made from aqueous polymer dispersions, often called a latex, using a dipping process. A hand-shaped mould is dipped into a saturated calcium nitrate solution, followed
Lake Kivu is located on the border of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, along the western branch of the East African Rift, a region of active volcanism and high seismicity. The lake deep waters contain nearly 60 cubic km of methane and over 300 cubic km of carbon dioxide. The methane can be extracted