Summer school on Planetology, Exploration, Terrestrial analogs, Robotics, Astrobiology, Spectroscopy

Vulcano, Aeolian islands, June 4th – June 9th 2025

2025 edition will take place in June.

In January 2025 first communication of program and speakers will be advertised.

Call for students: approx. February 2025

Scientific Organizing Committee (SOC)

M. Baqué (DLR)
J. Boerner (TUBAF)
J Dodiya (IU)
P. Irmisch (DLR)
C. Riedel (UP)
V. Unnithan (CU)
W. Geppert (EAI)
T. Bohnhardt (DLR)
A. Pisello (UniPG)
G. Ortenzi (INGV)

Local Organizing Committee (LOC)

A. Pisello (UniPG)
G. Ortenzi (INGV)
M. Porreca (UniPG)
M. Baqué (DLR)
V. Unnithan (CU)
F. Sohl (DLR)
A. Cassaro (ASI)
G. Poggiali (INAF)
R. Urso (INAF)
K. Gwinner (DLR)

PETRAS VULCANO 2024 info:

The PETRAS Vulcano School 2024 (June 12th- June 20th 2024) is a summer school aimed at PhD students, but also open to master’s students and post-doctoral researchers. This is a result of a collaboration between University of Perugia (UniPG), TU Bergakademie Freiberg (TUBAF), IU international University of Applied Sciences (IUBH), European Astrobiology Institute (EAI), German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) and various sections of German Aerospace Center (DLR).

PETRAS Vulcano School 2024 is part of the Vulcano International Summer School initiative which has been ongoing since 2015 and has been funded over the years by Helmholtz Alliance Robotic Exploration of Extreme Environments (ROBEX), Europlanet, ARCHES and iFOODis.

PETRAS Vulcano School is within the program offered by the PhD Board of the Earth System and Global Changes doctoral course of the University of Perugia (9 ECTS).

PETRAS Vulcano School promotes a multidisciplinary approach, involving volcanologists, geophysicists, astrobiologists, electronic/mechanical engineers and computer scientists to provide a 360-degree vision of the different skills needed by the planetary sciences community.

For years, the school’s organizational team has presented the results of field research at various conferences, including school participants who actively contribute to data collection and analysis. The research and working groups will be approximately the following:

• Vulcanology
• Planetology
• Spectroscopy (Raman, VNIR, LIBS)
• Astrobiology
• Exploration (Drone surveys, Photogrammetry, 3-D modeling, Integrated Positioning System IPS)
• Geophysical investigations
• Robotics

Program

The course will take place over nine days (12-20 June). All activities will be carried out in English.

The first half (days 1-5) are compulsory to obtain a certificate of attendance. In days 1-5 morning field experiences will alternate with afternoon thematic seminars in various areas of planetary sciences.
The second half (days 6-9) is optional, participants will be able to seek collaborations with various research groups and possibly collect data for their research project/doctoral thesis. Excursions to Lipari and/or Stromboli will be organized in this second half.

Participation and costs

Bursaries from European Astrobiology Institute (EAI)

A limited number of bursaries for students and early career scientists (up to 8 years from their first Ph. D. in a related field) from EAI institutions (see a list here) will be available. Participants from EAI Institutions selected by the EAI for bursaries will be offered free accommodation in a shared dormitory room from 12 June (arrival) to 20 June 2024 (departure), but have to fund their travel and meals (there are kitchens in the room) on their own. Applicant for bursaries should send the application form, no later April,  2nd  2024 to Wolf Geppert (wgeppert@fysik.su.se). The form can be downloaded here as a .doc  file. Applications should include (a) a motivation letter (half a page), (b) a short CV (max 1 page) and (c) a publication list (if available). Applicants will be informed about the outcome in due course after the deadline.

Regular participants

For students without a bursary, the cost will be around 400 euros, including course registration, accommodation at a Vulcano Blu residence (apartments for 4-8 people with kitchen and bathroom, in a structure with swimming pool and bar) and the possibility of data collection.
Admission is subject to limited availability (ca. 10 students) and will be assigned on a on a first come-first served basis.

To be enrolled, send an email to Dr. Alessandro Pisello (alessandro.pisello@unipg.it) with object:
PARTICIPATION TO PETRAS, VULCANO 2024

We have reached the maximum number of non-granted students this year.

How to reach Vulcano island

Participants should be on the island on June12th in the morning. Activities of the 12th of June will start on the efternoon. The dates and activities of Petras 2024 have been chosen to make it as accessible as possible.

The island can be reached by boat from Naples or from Sicily: the nearest international airports are Naples (Napoli Capodichino airport) and Catania (Catania Fontanarossa airport):
– If you land in Naples, it is necessary to be there on June 11th since there is a ferry (operated by Siremar/Caronte&Tourist) leaving from Naples’ central harbor on June11th at 20:00 arriving on Vulcano the next morning.
– If you land in Catania: there are daily buses leaving from Catania airport to reach Milazzo harbor (2 hours connection). From there, several fast boats are available to reach Vulcano (operated by Liberty Lines) . If you choose this option, be aware that it takes averagely 3-4 hours from Catania’s airport to Vulcano island.

Organizing Comittee

• Dr. Frank Sohl DLR (dlr.de/pf/en/)
• Prof Bernard Foing (UniLeiden – LUNEX EuroMoonMars)
• Prof. Wolf Geppert SU (wgeppert AT fysik.su.se)
• Dr. Mickael Baqué DLR (Mickael dot Baque AT dlr.de)
• Dr. Jana Boerner TU- Freiberg (Jana dot Boerner AT geophysik.tu-freiberg.de)
• Dr. Alessandro Pisello UniPG (alessandro dot pisello AT unipg.it)
• Prof. Janki Dodiya IU international University of Applied Sciences –  (janki DOT dodiya AT iu.org)