Volcanic systems are characterized by a wide range of physical processes, encompassing a broad spectrum of thermodynamic conditions. Such variability ranges from magma generation and ascent at depth, to ash dispersion and emplacement at the surface. Volcanic behaviour depends on the coupling between subsurface magma dynamics and sub-aerial processes, and our ability to forecast volcanic hazards and mitigate risks relies on understanding these processes and their interactions. To this end, a key advance is the development of increasingly sophisticated physical models of volcanic and magmatic phenomena. Numerical simulations represent a powerful tool for understanding their nonlinear dynamics at temporal and spatial scales that cannot be investigated through laboratory experiments. However, the increasing complexity of these physical models requires the development of proper numerical techniques able to solve the physical problems.

Modern high-performance computing infrastructures allow us to simulate efficiently multi-scale dynamics, such as turbulence and multiphase processes. However, the performance of numerical models using these computational platforms needs to be tested using parallel computing monitoring tools. Algorithms with good parallel scalability properties are needed to efficiently use these high-performance infrastructures. Additionally, to obtain accurate simulations and quantify the numerical and physical errors at geophysical scales, comparison with well-defined benchmarks, laboratory experiments and field data are required. Once the accuracy of a model has been quantified at the laboratory scale, it can be scaled to natural systems.

This session will focus on the numerical modelling of multiphase volcanic and magmatic phenomena, ranging from magma chamber dynamics and ascent into the conduit, to turbulent dispersion in the atmosphere and flow emplacement mechanisms. We invite contributions that include the development of new numerical models and techniques, validation benchmarks, and the application of new or existing models to volcanic test cases or laboratory experiments.