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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft
21 November 2025 / Kiel / Balboa. Today, the German research vessel SONNE departs from Balboa (Panama) on a five-week expedition along the Central American Volcanic Arc. Under the leadership of PD Dr Steffen Kutterolf from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, researchers will investigate how climate change and volcanic activity are interconnected, and how chemical changes in volcanic products in sediments affect the global carbon cycle and the biosphere. The cruise also serves as a pre-site survey for a planned drilling proposal within the framework of the International Ocean Drilling Program (IODP3).
Explosive volcanic eruptions can influence the climate for years – for example, through ash and sulphur particles injected into the atmosphere that reduce solar radiation. Conversely, geological records show that changes in climate can also affect the frequency and intensity of eruptions. However, the exact link between these processes remains poorly understood.
“We want to determine whether major climatic changes – such as ice ages and warm periods – are reflected in the deposits of volcanic ash on the seafloor,” explains PD Dr Steffen Kutterolf, volcanologist at GEOMAR. “To do this, we are collecting samples along the Central American Volcanic Arc and its extension into southern Mexico, analysing how the frequency, composition, and chemical alteration of volcanic ash have evolved over time.”
The Central American Volcanic Arc – A Key Region
The SO316 expedition aboard SONNE is titled CAVA Tephras. “CAVA” refers to the study area: the Central American Volcanic Arc, a roughly 1,500-kilometre-long volcanic belt stretching from southern Guatemala through El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica to Panama. A few kilometres offshore, beneath the Pacific seabed, the Cocos Plate subducts beneath the Caribbean Plate – this subduction zone drives the region’s intense volcanic activity. In geology, the term “tephras” refers to volcanic ejecta such as ash or pumice.
The expedition will take researchers from Balboa (Panama) to San Diego (USA). At multiple stations, they will employ seismic surveys and sediment core sampling to characterise deposits of volcanic ash in the uppermost layers of the seafloor and trace them over greater distances. These data will form the basis for a future IODP3 drilling proposal, enabling systematic study of deeper sediment layers.
Reactive Silicates and the Carbon Cycle
In addition to reconstructing volcanic activity, the expedition addresses geochemical questions: volcanic ash contains reactive silicates – minerals that chemically change when in contact with seawater. This process releases important nutrients and drives reactions that influence the ocean’s carbon and silica cycles, with long-term consequences for climate. Changes in the chemical composition of these materials can also provide clues about how volcanic arcs have evolved over millennia.
Researchers from Germany, the USA, France, China, Costa Rica and Mexico are participating. In Germany, besides GEOMAR, the Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel (CAU) is involved.
A look back at the past to gain insight for the future
“The data we collect will help us better understand the interactions between geological and climatic processes and reconstruct the eruptive history of the region over the past half-million years,” says Kutterolf. “In the long term, such findings will help us assess volcanic risks more accurately and model their interactions with climatic changes more precisely.”
Expedition at a Glance: SO316
Name: Rhythms, Magnitude, and Impacts of Volcanic Ash from Explosive Central American Arc Eruptions: pre-site survey, CAVA Tephra
Chief Scientist: PD Dr Steffen Kutterolf (GEOMAR)
Dates: 21 November – 26 December 2025
Departure and Arrival: Balboa (Panama) – San Diego (USA)
Working Area: Eastern Pacific, northern Central American volcanic arc (N-CAVA)
Funding:
The research vessel SONNE is used for globally oriented, fundamental ocean research by Germany and for international collaboration. It is owned by the Federal Republic of Germany, represented by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).
https://www.geomar.de/n10093 – images for download
https://www.geomar.de/forschen/expeditionen/detailansicht/exp/376724?cHash=ce099... GEOMAR Expedition Details
https://iodp3.org/ International Ocean Drilling Program (IODP3)
Merkmale dieser Pressemitteilung:
Journalisten
Chemie, Geowissenschaften, Meer / Klima, Umwelt / Ökologie
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