Monitoring extreme events across the Earth-atmosphere system
On 11 May, the Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest, hosted the workshop “Monitoring Extreme Events Across the Earth–Atmosphere System” co-organized by SGAR, INFP and FGG-UB, dedicated to undergraduate students interested in geophysics, atmospheric sciences, environmental hazards, and Earth system monitoring.
The event explored how modern scientific methods and observational systems can be used to monitor and understand both natural and anthropogenic hazards, with a focus on atmospheric transport, infrasound observations, and environmental risk assessment.
Scientific presentations were sustained by invited researchers from the National Institute of Earth Physics:
Monitoring Natural and Anthropogenic Hazards Using Infrasound Observation Speaker: Daniela Ghica
The presentation introduced students to the role of infrasound monitoring in detecting and analysing extreme events such as volcanic eruptions, explosions, meteorological phenomena, and other large-scale atmospheric disturbances. The session also highlighted the importance of international monitoring networks and their applications in hazard detection, environmental security, and nuclear test-ban verification.
From Geological Events to the Atmosphere: Modelling Particle Transport During Extreme Events
Speaker: Luminita Marmureanu
This lecture focused on atmospheric dispersion modelling and the transport of particles generated during extreme events. Students learned how numerical simulations and environmental datasets are used to understand the movement of aerosols and radioactive particles in the atmosphere, contributing to risk assessment and emergency response strategies.
Hands-On Data Activity
The final part of the workshop featured an interactive hands-on session dedicated to atmospheric particle transport during radioactive events. Undergraduate students explored simulations of the radioactive plume generated by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster (11 March 2011) and analysed particle trajectories associated with recent fires in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone caused by bombings during the war in Ukraine (May 2026), where radioactive material can be resuspended and transported through the atmosphere.
Participants also worked with scientific databases and visualization tools to investigate atmospheric dispersion following the Chernobyl disaster (26 April 1986). Through these practical exercises, students gained insight into the role of atmospheric dispersion modelling, trajectory analysis, and environmental data in hazard monitoring, emergency response, and environmental risk assessment.
Organizing committee: Florina Tuluca, Andreea Andra-Toparceanu & Ana Suditu
