Dr. Iphigenia Anagnostopoulos
Postdoc
Hailing from the epicentre of beer and Brezn—Munich, Bavaria—I’m the local among an international team of talented minds. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Geosciences, a Master's degree in Geomaterials and Geochemistry, and a PhD in Mineralogy (awarded in 2024) — all earned from LMU Munich. While everyone else brings their global charms, I provide Bavarian grumpiness—adding a little local flavour to our international mix.
Research
My research focuses on the interactions between volcanic ash and gas, exploring the diffusion of ions in glass, and studying reaction mechanisms at high temperatures. I am particularly interested in chemical analysis, utilising ion chromatography to quantify chemical compositions. My previous work delved into phase formation mechanisms of metal-bearing oxides and hydroxides in hydrothermal liquids and industrial wastewater, which has helped me better understand these geochemical processes.
A volcanic ash particle from Hrafntinnuhryggur, Iceland, coated with sulfate salts after exposure to SO2 and viewed under the scanning electron microscope. | © Ana Casas
Sulfur scrubbing by volcanic ash during explosive eruptions
Volcanic ash and sulfur compounds, particularly sulfur dioxide (SO₂), play a significant role in the Earth's climate system. During explosive eruptions, sulfur dioxide interacts with volcanic ash to form salts, which precipitate on the surface of ash particles. The process is efficient and can result in the uptake of ~50% of sulfur from volcanic plumes, thus jeopardising our volatile budget measurements using gas emission analysis. Here, we conduct experiments to quantify the interaction between volcanic ash and sulfur, thereby developing more accurate simulations of climate impact.
Running project
Wadsworth, F.B., Vasseur, J., Casas, A.S., Delmelle, P., Hess, K.-U., Ayris, P.M., Dingwell, D.B. (2021). A model for the kinetics of high temperature reactions between polydisperse volcanic ash and SO2 gas. American Mineralogist, 106(8), 1319–1332, https://doi.org/10.2138/am-2021-7691
Casas, A.S., Wadsworth, F.B., Ayris, P.M., Delmelle, P., Vasseur, J., Cimarelli, C., Dingwell, D.B. (2019). SO2 scrubbing during percolation through rhyolitic volcanic domes. Geochemica Cosmochemica Acta, 257, 150–162, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2019.04.013