Ignacio Castro-Melgar

Dr. Ignacio Castro-Melgar

Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Geophysics, Prague, Praha, Hlavní Město, Czech Republic
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Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

8Years (2019-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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22 June 2025 in Remote Sensing
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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ICIgnacio Castro-Melgar
Ignacio Castro-Melgar
TFTriantafyllos Falaras
Triantafyllos Falaras
EBEleftheria Basiou
Eleftheria Basiou
Issaak ParcharidisIssaak Parcharidis
Issaak Parcharidis
The October 2024 cut-off low event triggered one of the most catastrophic floods recorded in the Valencia Metropolitan Area, exposing significant vulnerabilities in urban planning, infrastructure resilience, and emergency preparedness. This study presents a novel comprehensive assessment of the event, using a multi-sensor satellite approach combined with socio-economic and infrastructure data at the metropolitan scale. It provides a comprehensive spatial assessment of the flood’s impacts by integrating of radar Sentinel-1 and optical Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8 imagery with datasets including population density, land use, and critical infrastructure layers. Approximately 199 km2 were inundated, directly affecting over 90,000 residents and compromising vital infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, transportation corridors, and agricultural lands. Results highlight the exposure of peri-urban zones and agricultural areas, reflecting the socio-economic risks associated with the rapid urban expansion into flood-prone plains. The applied methodology demonstrates the essential role of multi-sensor remote sensing in accurately delineating flood extents and assessing socio-economic impacts. This approach constitutes a transferable framework for enhancing disaster risk management strategies in other Mediterranean urban regions. As extreme hydrometeorological events become more frequent under changing climatic conditions, the findings underscore the urgent need for integrating remote sensing technologies, early warning systems, and nature-based solutions into regional governance to strengthen resilience, reduce vulnerabilities, and mitigate future flood risks.

9 April 2024 in Land
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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IKIoanna Efstathia Kalavrezou
Ioanna Efstathia Kalavrezou
ICIgnacio Castro-Melgar
Ignacio Castro-Melgar
DNDimitra Nika
Dimitra Nika
TGTheodoros Gatsios
Theodoros Gatsios
SLSpyros Lalechos
Spyros Lalechos
Issaak ParcharidisIssaak Parcharidis
Issaak Parcharidis
This study employs advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) techniques, specifically the small baseline subset (SBAS) method, to analyze ground deformation dynamics on Aegina, a volcanic island within the Hellenic Volcanic Arc. Using Sentinel-1 satellite data spanning January 2016 to May 2023, this research reveals different deformation behaviors. The towns of Aegina and Saint Marina portray regions of stability, contrasting with central areas exhibiting subsidence rates of up to 1 cm/year. The absence of deformation consistent with volcanic activity on Aegina Island aligns with geological records and limited seismic activity, attributing the observed subsidence processes to settlement phenomena from past volcanic events and regional geothermal activity. These findings reinforce the need for continuous monitoring of the volcanic islands located in the Hellenic Volcanic Arc, providing important insights for local risk management, and contributing to our broader understanding of geodynamic and volcanic processes.

7 October 2019 in Geophysical Journal International
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
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JIJesús M Ibáñez
Jesús M Ibáñez
ICIgnacio Castro-Melgar
Ignacio Castro-Melgar
OCOrnella Cocina
Ornella Cocina
LZLuciano Zuccarello
Luciano Zuccarello
SBStefano Branca
Stefano Branca
JPJanire Prudencio
Janire Prudencio
SUMMARY: We present 2-D attenuation images of the Mt Etna volcanic region on the basis of separation of intrinsic and scattering effects. The analysis presented here exploits a large active seismic database that fully covers the area under study. We observe that scattering effects dominate over intrinsic attenuation, suggesting that the region is very heterogeneous. Comparison with analyses conducted at other volcanoes reveals that the Mt Etna region is characterized by high intrinsic attenuation, resulting from the presence of large volcanoclastic deposits at shallow depth. The 2-D distributions of intrinsic and scattering anomalies show the presence of regions characterized by high and low attenuation effects, corresponding to several tectonic and volcanic features. In particular, we identify a high attenuation region in the SW sector of the Mt Etna volcanic complex, which is correlated with high seismicity rates and volcanism. This work supports the hypothesis of a link between the dynamics of the SW flank and the recharge of the volcano in the last decades, occurring under the summit crater and, secondarily, the upper South rift zone.

4 February 2025 in Forests
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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ICIgnacio Castro-Melgar
Ignacio Castro-Melgar
ATArtemis Tsagkou
Artemis Tsagkou
MZMaria Zacharopoulou
Maria Zacharopoulou
EBEleftheria Basiou
Eleftheria Basiou
IAIoannis Athinelis
Ioannis Athinelis
Issaak ParcharidisIssaak Parcharidis
Issaak Parcharidis
Wildfires are a recurrent and intensifying natural hazard in Mediterranean regions like Greece, driven by prolonged heatwaves, evolving climatic conditions, and human activities. This study leverages Sentinel-2 satellite imagery and Copernicus geospatial data to assess four early-season wildfire events during May and June 2024, which collectively affected 43.44 km2. Burn severity, land cover, and tree cover density were analyzed to evaluate the spatial and environmental impacts of these fires. Validation against Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) data yielded an overall accuracy of 95.79%, confirming the reliability of the methodology. The Achaia-Ilia wildfire, spanning 40.55 km2, exhibited the highest severity, with 26.93% classified as moderate to high severity. Smaller fires, such as Katsimidi (0.66 km2) and Stamata (1.41 km2), revealed the influence of vegetation type and density on fire dynamics, with Stamata’s sparse tree cover mitigating fire spread. The findings highlight the utility of remote sensing technologies for wildfire monitoring, and underscore the need for tailored management strategies, from vegetation control to urban planning, to enhance ecosystem resilience and mitigate wildfire risks in Mediterranean landscapes.

27 June 2021 in Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
ICIgnacio Castro-Melgar
Ignacio Castro-Melgar
JPJanire Prudencio
Janire Prudencio
Edoardo Del PezzoEdoardo Del Pezzo
Edoardo Del Pezzo
EGE. Giampiccolo
E. Giampiccolo
JIJ. M. Ibáñez
J. M. Ibáñez
We present a new three‐dimensional (3D) image of attenuation beneath Mt. Etna volcano based on the coda normalization method. Mt. Etna is an ideal natural laboratory for the application of new or unconventional tomography techniques owing to high levels of seismicity spanning a wide range of epicentral distances and depths. We retrieved seismic waveforms from the database generated in the 2014 TOMO‐ETNA seismic experiment and performed a joint interpretation of tomographic and geophysical inversion models to better constrain interpretations of the volcanic structure. We compared the attenuation tomography results with seismic inversion models (two P wave seismic models and a 3D coda wave seismic attenuation model) and the literature to highlight and interpret structural elements and their impact on the volcano dynamics. We created a new image of the inner structure of Mt. Etna that will help to constrain present and future volcanic behavior. In particular, we focused on magma storage below the summit area and identified a large high‐attenuation volume that is characterized by physical properties compatible with the presence of magma and other fluids. The existence of such a large volume of magma in the shallow crust below Mt. Etna has implications for the eruptive potential of the volcano.

23 September 2021 in Frontiers in Earth Science
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
ICIgnacio Castro-Melgar
Ignacio Castro-Melgar
JPJanire Prudencio
Janire Prudencio
ACAndrea Cannata
Andrea Cannata
EPEdoardo Del Pezzo
Edoardo Del Pezzo
JIJesús M. Ibáñez
Jesús M. Ibáñez
We present the first two-dimensional (2-D) spatial distribution of seismic scattering and intrinsic attenuation beneath the Aeolian Islands arc. The Aeolian Islands archipelago represents one of the best examples of a small dimension volcanic island arc characterised by the alternation of different structural domains. Using the seismic wave diffusion model as the basis for the analysis, and using data from an active seismic experiment (TOMO-ETNA), we analysed more than 76,700 seismic paths marked by epicentre-seismic station pairs. Based on frequencies of 4–24 Hz, we identified high regional attenuation, comparable with other volcanic areas of the world. We used two different seismogram lengths, reflecting two different sampling depths, which allowed us to observe two different attenuative behaviours. As in most volcanic regions, scattering attenuation predominates over intrinsic attenuation, but some characteristics are area-specific. Volcanic structures present the highest contribution to scattering, especially in the low frequency range. This behaviour is interpreted to reflect the small size of the islands and the potentially relatively small size of individual magmatic feeding systems. In addition, strong scattering observed in one zone is associated with the northernmost part of the so-called Aeolian-Tindari-Letojanni fault system. In contrast, away from the volcanic islands, intrinsic attenuation dominates over scattering attenuation. We interpret this shift in attenuative behaviour as reflecting the large volume of sedimentary material deposited on the seabed. Owing to their poorly consolidated nature, sediments facilitate intrinsic attenuationviaenergy dissipation, but in general present high structural homogeneity that is reflected by low levels of scattering. Our results show that this region is not underlain by a large volcanic structural complex such as that beneath nearby Mt. Etna volcano. Instead, we observe dimensionally smaller and isolated subsurface volcanic structures. The identification of such features facilitates improved geological interpretation; we can now separate consolidated marine structures from independent subsurface volcanic elements. The results of this study provide a model for new research in similar regions around the world.