Dr. Francesco Rappisi
Last modified: May 18, 2026 | First published: April 15, 2025
Research interests
Geophysicist expert in seismology and geodynamics, fascinated by the dynamics of the solid Earth. My research focuses on tomography, observational and computational seismology, with a particular interest in subduction zones and active volcanoes.
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Education
2022 – PhD in Earth Sciences, University of Padova (Italy)
2017 – MSc in Applied and Exploration Geophysics, University of Pisa (Italy)
2014 – BSc in Geology, University of Palermo (Italy)
Previous professional experiences
2025 – present -> Postdoctoral researcher at ECGS
2023 – 2025 -> Postdoctoral researcher at University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment, UK
2022 – 2023 -> Postdoctoral researcher at University of Padova, Geosciences Department, Italy
2018 – 2022 -> PhD researcher at University of Padova, Geosciences Department, Italy
Publications (peer-reviewed)
Rappisi, F., Craig, T. J., & Rost, S. (2026). The Detection of transient subduction zone interface properties using teleseismic data. Geophysical Research Letters, 53, e2026GL121813. https://doi.org/10.1029/2026GL121813
Rappisi, F., Lo Bue, R., Vanderbeek, B. P., Confal, J. M., Erman, C., Baccheschi, P., … & Faccenda, M. (2025). 3‐D mantle flow and structure of the Mediterranean from combined P‐wave and splitting intensity anisotropic tomography. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 130(6), e2024JB030883. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JB030883
Del Piccolo, G., VanderBeek, B. P., Faccenda, M., Lo Bue, R., Cocina, O., Firetto Carlino, M., Giampiccolo E., Scarfí L., Rappisi F., Gerya T. & Morelli, A. (2025). Pressurized magma storage in radial dike network beneath Etna volcano evidenced with P-wave anisotropic imaging. Communications Earth & Environment, 6(1), 405. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02328-8
Faccenda, M., VanderBeek, B. P., de Montserrat, A., Yang, J., Rappisi, F., & Ribe, N. (2024). ECOMAN: an open-source package for geodynamic and seismological modelling of mechanical anisotropy. Solid Earth, 15(10), 1241-1264. https://doi.org/10.5194/se-15-1241-2024
Lo Bue, R., Rappisi, F., Firetto Carlino, M., Giampiccolo, E., Cocina, O., Vanderbeek, B. P., & Faccenda, M. (2024). Crustal structure of Etna volcano (Italy) from P‐wave anisotropic tomography. Geophysical Research Letters, 51(13), e2024GL108733. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL108733
Rappisi, F., Witek, M., Faccenda, M., Ferreira, A. M. G., & Chang, S. J. (2024). Artificial age-independent seismic anisotropy, slab thickening and shallowing due to limited resolving power of (an) isotropic tomography. Geophysical Journal International, 237(1), 217-234. https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggae042
VanderBeek, B. P., Bue, R. L., Rappisi, F., & Faccenda, M. (2023). Imaging upper mantle anisotropy with traveltime and splitting intensity observations from teleseismic shear waves: insights from tomographic reconstructions of subduction simulations. Geophysical Journal International, 235(3), 2640-2670. https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggad389
Lo Bue, R.†, Rappisi, F.†, Vanderbeek, B. P., & Faccenda, M. (2022). Tomographic image interpretation and Central-Western Mediterranean-like upper mantle dynamics from coupled seismological and geodynamic modeling approach. Frontiers in Earth Science, 10, 884100. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.884100 †shared first authorship
Rappisi, F., VanderBeek, B. P., Faccenda, M., Morelli, A., & Molinari, I. (2022). Slab geometry and upper mantle flow patterns in the Central Mediterranean from 3D anisotropic P‐wave tomography. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 127(5), e2021JB023488. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JB023488
Xing, Z., Rappisi, F., & Mazzotti, A. (2018, September). A new workflow for surface wave FWI combining genetic algorithm and gradient-based optimization algorithms. In 24th European Meeting of Environmental and Engineering Geophysics (Vol. 2018, No. 1, pp. 1-5). European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers. https://doi.org/10.3997/2214-4609.201802567
+ under review
Rappisi et al. SubBridge: a 3-D Subduction and Ridge Model with Synthetic Seismic Waveforms for Benchmarking.
+ in preparation
Rappisi et al. Anisotropic seismic imaging of Kivu rift: interplay between tectonics and volcanism.
Rappisi et al. Does deep magma power the Campi Flegrei caldera? Evidence from seismic tomography and anisotropy.
