EVOLVE PROJECT

The EVoLvE project - Modelling temporal evolution of volcano landscape through erosion – is a fundamental research project funded by FWO – Flanders for the period 2020-23, under the coordination of Prof. Matthieu Kervyn in the Physical Geography research group of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

The EVoLvE project aims at a better understanding the long term morphological evolution of volcanoes. Volcanoes are highly dynamic geomorphological features which grow through eruption and erode rapidly. Although the fact that volcano landscapes change on short or long-term is evident, these processes and their controlling factors remains poorly constrained. This project aims to employ novel analogue and numerical models of landscape evolution with the fractal characterization of volcano shapes to develop a comprehensive model of long-term volcano morphology evolution. 

First the fractal dimension of composite volcanoes from selected arcs will be constrained and related to their estimated erosion rates. Second, analogue experiments of volcano erosion will be systematically analysed to constrain the control of volcano morphology, internal layering and tectonics on erosion rate and drainage pattern. Third, a state-of-the-art landscape erosion model will be adapted to reproduce patterns and rates of volcano degradation. It will eventually lead to the integration of constructive and destructive processes into a single numerical model that will enable realistic simulation of long-term volcanic landscape evolution and a better interpretation of current volcano morphologies.