Luca Dal Zilio

TS Tectonics and Structural Geology

The 2026 Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award is awarded to Luca Dal Zilio for fundamental contribution to understanding how deformation localises across time-scales, using cutting-edge research at the intersection of tectonics, geodynamics, and earthquake physics.

Luca Dal Zilio has led cutting-edge research at the intersection of tectonics, geodynamics, and earthquake physics. By developing physics-based models that couple friction, fluid flow and rock damage, he developed simulations of the full seismic cycle. His work provides new fundamental knowledge of how stress, fluids, and deformation interact to produce seismic and aseismic slip, enhancing our understanding of fault systems in subduction zones and orogens. His open-source tools have been widely adopted, advancing reproducibility and access across the community. A notable strength of his research is the integration of geodynamic modelling with geophysical observations, which has yielded influential publications on interseismic coupling, rupture nucleation, and fluid-driven fault weakening. These insights have reshaped aspects of fault mechanics and tectonic modelling.

Dal Zilio has also made significant contributions to the broader geoscience community, including EGU, where he served as an Early Career Scientist Representative and has been involved in organising Early Career Scientist events and short courses at the General Assembly. He currently co-chairs the Seismic Cycle Working Group in the Computational Infrastructure for Geodynamics and serves on the editorial boards of 'Communications Earth & Environment' and 'Tectonics'.

Dal Zilio exemplifies the interdisciplinary, open, and impactful research that EGU seeks to foster, making him a well-deserved recipient of the Tectonics and Structural Geology Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award for 2026.