LithoMar events

LithoMar activities continue beyond the initial funding period, with new field campaigns and scientific initiatives.

– HAVEN Oceanographic Cruise (R/V Gaia Blu, 18–24 August 2026)

The proposal for ship time on the R/V Gaia Blu (operated by the National Research Council of Italy), submitted by the LithoMar Task Force in 2024, was accepted in 2025. However, due to unsuitable operational conditions for ROV deployment—essential for achieving the project objectives—the expedition was rescheduled to 18–24 August 2026.
The cruise will focus on the Sicily Channel, specifically the Sciacca–Granitola Fault System (SCGFS), with investigations targeting hydrothermal venting, tectonic activity, and benthic habitats. Key study areas include Climene Volcano, Graham Bank, and Terrible Bank.

– International Conference on Seafloor Landforms, Processes and Evolution (ICSLPE)

Third Edition, Durban, South Africa, 20-24 August 2026 – https://icslpe.com/

– Call for contributions will be launched soon for a dedicated special volume focused on seamounts and guyots.

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LithoMar collaborations & Initiatives (2021–2025)

The LithoMar Task Force (International Lithosphere Programme) has carried out a wide range of scientific activities and collaborative initiatives between 2021 and 2025. These efforts have combined fieldwork, laboratory research, numerical modelling, and international dissemination, fostering a strongly multidisciplinary approach.

Oceanographic expeditions

– Mediterranean Sea (Sicily Channel): exploration of submarine volcanic areas and their geomorphic and geodynamic expression (HAVEN expedition – R/V Gaia Blu)

– Pacific Ocean: FALKOR (TOO) Fkt240224 “unexplored Seamounts along the Sala y Gomez Ridge” (24 Feb. – 04 Apr. 2024) – https://schmidtocean.org/cruise/unexplored-seamounts-of-the-salas-y-gomez-ridge/

– Arctic Ocean: investigation of cold-seep environments, with a focus on fluid-related processes and associated seafloor morphologies, carried out within the framework of projects AKMA (https://en.uit.no/project/akma), EXTREME24, EXTREME25 and EXTREME26 (https://uit.no/project/extremes)

– Southern ocean: Oceanographic expedition on-board R/V Laura Bassi (2021-2022-2023) within the framework of PNRA project ISOBATA – https://isobata.ogs.it/

Laboratory-based research

– Processing of multibeam bathymetric datasets from past campaigns in the Southern Ocean (Emerald Fracture Zone) and the Pacific Ocean, with a focus on transform faults, seamounts and guyots

– Development of numerical models and automated tools for detecting critical seafloor landforms, with applications in geohazard assessment

Shallow-water fieldwork

– Offshore Mt. Etna (Italy): investigation of the interaction between active tectonics, volcanism, and shallow seafloor morphology within a complex geodynamic setting within the framework of BridgET project (https://bridget.unimib.it/).

Scientific focus and approach

Throughout these activities, LithoMar has promoted synergic and multidisciplinary approaches, integrating diverse methodologies across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Special emphasis in the last years has been placed on the study of seamounts & guyots. A call for contributions will be launched soon for a dedicated special volume focused on seamounts and guyots. The volume will aim to advance the geological and geomorphological understanding of these features, highlighting their role as key archives of oceanic processes and long-term seafloor evolution.

Dissemination and community building

LithoMar has actively contributed to scientific dissemination through participation in international and national conferences, including dedicated sessions at the EGU General Assembly and other major congresses.

The Task Force has also remained strongly committed to fostering collaboration and engagement, particularly among early-career researchers, through its research and outreach activities.