Dr. Boris Behncke, a volcanologist at the INGV Institute in Catania, was born on March 2nd and possesses a dreamy vivacity that, as a Pisces, sometimes turns into great determination, other times into total defeatism. In his case, fortunately (for him and for us), the former holds true: he has plenty of grit and determination. Otherwise, there’s no explanation why he decided to leave one of the richest and most modern countries in the world… Germany, where he was born and raised… to settle in Sicily, on the outskirts of Europe. Or perhaps there is an explanation: he did it for love!

In love with Etna

Dr. Behncke is in love with a “female” volcano, passionate but also unpredictable and often short-tempered, as only vain beauties can be. Mount Etna is like that, and it’s precisely for this reason that it captivates.

But young Boris’s first love wasn’t Etna. It rather was an Icelandic volcano with an unpronounceable name. The photos of one of its spectacular eruptions captured the eyes and mind of that German boy… and perhaps he already decided he wanted to be a volcanologist. Unfortunately, however, there are no active volcanoes in Germany! He had to go out and look for them elsewhere.

After university, Boris traveled around the world. He visited many volcanoes, studied them, tried to understand them and make them understood. Then he arrived in Sicily, saw Mount Etna, and in this incredible mountain he found all the volcanic phenomena he knew. All gathered in one place. Of course he fell in love with it!

Telling about Etna

The choice dictated by this love was a courageous one. Putting down roots at the foot of Etna meant fully immersing himself in the daily life of a Sicilian… problems included! Boris worked for more than ten years on research contracts, “fixed-term,” without the certainty of a future, without the stability of a confirmed career. Yet he did his best, always!

His studies turned into educational outreach. Not only in schools but also in town squares, theaters, and city halls. Telling about Etna to those who experience it every day but don’t understand it… that was his mission. And Boris has always known how to talk about this volcano: he does it with simple, direct words, often in Sicilian dialect—because in the meantime, he too has become Sicilian, started a family here, and had a Sicilian daughter!

By talking about Etna, this talented communicator has not only helped raise environmental awareness among people but also introduced them to the world of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology. These “complicated scientists” suddenly spoke a language everyone could understand.

Life as a “catanisi” volcanologist!

Today, Dr. Boris Behncke’s life and work have changed. He has a secure, permanent job and a role of national importance that often takes him outside Sicily. But the life of a volcanologist is always tied to “his” volcano. And Boris never misses an opportunity to return to study and talk about Etna, whenever possible. Occasionally, he “cheats” on it with Stromboli, especially in the summer when his work takes him among the crowds of tourists who flock to that Aeolian volcano… But his heart remains forever tied to Etna’s Southeast crater!

And what is the life of a “catanisi” volcanologist – like Dr. Behncke has now become? It’s an intense life, made up of shifts, inspections, surprises… because Etna is constantly changing and never ceases to amaze. But it’s also made up of relaxing with his family, hiking in the countryside, and… music! Boris, in fact, as a true “Pisces,” is also an artist. Here (Blog ILVULCANICO-italian only) you can read how his passion for piano and composition is much more than just a hobby.

Inspiration, in this case too, comes from the volcano. It comes from the moments of beauty and thunder that Etna creates, continuously, lively, and without banality. And who could ever transform the roar of a volcano into a melody…? Someone who understands that volcano well, as only a lover could. (PHOTOS FROM B. BEHNCKE’S FACEBOOK PAGE)