Investigating the evolution of an active volcano: petrology and geochemistry of historic eruptive products at Mount Etna (Sicily, Italy)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Ruadhan Magee
Keyword(s):  
Active Volcano ◽  
Mount Etna ◽  
Petrology And Geochemistry

scholarly journals Earth’s surface deformation on mount Etna: GPS measurements, interpretation, relationship to the mode of volcanism

2019 ◽  
pp. 14-24
Author(s):  
V. I. Kafta ◽  
M. V. Rodkin
Keyword(s):  
Surface Deformation ◽  
Geodetic Network ◽  
Summit Crater ◽  
Active Volcano ◽  
Mount Etna ◽  
Navigation Systems ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Vertical Movements ◽  
Satellite Navigation Systems ◽  
Sea Area

We present results from a study of lateral Earth’s surface deformation and vertical movements in the area of the Mount Etna active volcano (Sicily, Italy) based on observations by global satellite navigation systems in 2011–2017 at time intervals of 24 hours at sparse stations of the regional geodetic network. The study of Mount Etna is especially important because (1) the volcano stands in a densely populated area, (2) the eruptions are nearly continuous, and (3) the location of the volcano is inconsistent with plate tectonic concepts. Subregional trends have been identified in the deformation of the area of study. Extension was recorded, not only around the summit crater, but also far from it, in the Ionian Sea. This circumstance suggests the existence of an extensive plumbing system at depth whose sources are far from the active summit crater. We discuss geological and geophysical survey results of the coastal area and the sea area in the region. It is shown that Earth’s surface deformation should be studied from observations of the existing networks that are sparse, but cover a large area.

scholarly journals Earth’s surface deformation on mount Etna: GPS measurements, interpretation, relationship to the mode of volcanism

2019 ◽  
pp. 14-24
Author(s):  
V. I. Kafta ◽  
M. V. Rodkin
Keyword(s):  
Surface Deformation ◽  
Geodetic Network ◽  
Summit Crater ◽  
Active Volcano ◽  
Mount Etna ◽  
Navigation Systems ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Vertical Movements ◽  
Satellite Navigation Systems ◽  
Sea Area

We present results from a study of lateral Earth’s surface deformation and vertical movements in the area of the Mount Etna active volcano (Sicily, Italy) based on observations by global satellite navigation systems in 2011–2017 at time intervals of 24 hours at sparse stations of the regional geodetic network. The study of Mount Etna is especially important because (1) the volcano stands in a densely populated area, (2) the eruptions are nearly continuous, and (3) the location of the volcano is inconsistent with plate tectonic concepts. Subregional trends have been identified in the deformation of the area of study. Extension was recorded, not only around the summit crater, but also far from it, in the Ionian Sea. This circumstance suggests the existence of an extensive plumbing system at depth whose sources are far from the active summit crater. We discuss geological and geophysical survey results of the coastal area and the sea area in the region. It is shown that Earth’s surface deformation should be studied from observations of the existing networks that are sparse, but cover a large area.

An Active Volcano: Mount Etna.

Science ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 232 (4753) ◽  
pp. 1033-1034
Author(s):  
T. L. WRIGHT
Keyword(s):  
Active Volcano ◽  
Mount Etna

scholarly journals Absolute and Relative Gravity Measurements at Volcanoes: Current State and New Developments Under the NEWTON-g Project

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Greco ◽  
D. Carbone ◽  
F. Cannavò ◽  
A. A. Messina ◽  
G. Siligato
Keyword(s):  
Gravity Data ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Active Volcano ◽  
Superconducting Gravimeter ◽  
Mount Etna ◽  
Micro Electro Mechanical Systems ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Gravity Measurements ◽  
Mt Etna

AbstractGravity changes associated with volcanic processes occur over a wide range of time scales, from minutes to years and with magnitudes between a few and a few hundred microGal. High-precision instruments are needed to detect such small signals and both time-lapse surveys along networks of stations, and continuous measurements at single points, are accomplished. Continuous volcano gravimetry is mostly carried out through relative gravimeters, either superconducting instruments, providing higher quality data, or the more widely used spring meters. On the other hand, time-lapse surveys can be carried out with relative (spring) gravimeters, that measure gravity differences between pairs of stations, or by absolute gravimeters, capable of measuring the absolute value of the gravitational acceleration at the observation point. Here we present the state-of-the-art of terrestrial gravity measurements to monitor and study active volcanoes and the possibilities of new gravimeters that are under development. In particular, we present data from a mini array of three iGrav superconducting gravimeters (SGs) at Mount Etna (the first network of SGs ever installed on an active volcano). A comparison between continuous gravity measurements recorded through the iGrav#016 superconducting gravimeter at Serra La Nave station (1730 m a.s.l.) and absolute gravity data collected with the Microg LaCoste FG5#238 gravimeter in the framework of repeated campaigns is also presented. Furthermore, we introduce the Horizon 2020 NEWTON-g project (New Tools for Terrain Gravimetry), funded under the FET-OPEN Research and Innovation Actions call, Work Programme 2016–2017 (Grant Agreement No 801221). In the framework of this project, we aim to develop a field-compatible gravity imager, including an array of low-costs Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)-based relative gravimeters, anchored on an absolute quantum gravimeter. After the design and production phases, the gravity imager will be field-tested at Mt. Etna (Italy) during the last 2 years of the project.

scholarly journals Tales From Three 18th Century Eruptions to Understand Past and Present Behaviour of Etna

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Anna Corsaro ◽  
Stefano Branca ◽  
Emanuela De Beni ◽  
Jean-Claude Tanguy
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Active Volcano ◽  
Scoria Cone ◽  
Mount Etna ◽  
Magma Ascent ◽  
Plumbing System ◽  
The South ◽  
Historical Sources ◽  
Magmatic Processes ◽  
Primitive Magma

The structure of an active volcano is highly dependent on the interplay between the geodynamic context, the tectonic assessment as well as the magmatic processes in the plumbing system. This complex scenario, widely explored at Etna during the last 40 years, is nevertheless incomplete for the recent historical activity. In 1763 two eruptions occurred along the west flank of the volcano. There, an eruption started on 6th February and formed the scoria cone of Mt. Nuovo and a roughly 4-km-long lava flow field. Another small scoria cone, known as Mt. Mezza Luna, is not dated in historical sources. It is located just 1 km eastward of Mt. Nuovo and produced a 700 m long flow field. We focused on the activity of Mts. Nuovo and Mezza Luna for several reasons. First, the old geological maps and volcanological catalogues indicate that Mt. Mezza Luna and Mt. Nuovo cones were formed during the same eruption, while historical sources described Mt. Nuovo’s activity as producing a single scoria cone and do not give information about the formation of Mt. Mezza Luna. Second, petrologic studies highlight that the products of Mt. Mezza Luna are similar to the sub-aphyric Etna basalts; they preserve a composition relatively close to Etna primitive magma which were also erupted in 1763, during La Montagnola flank eruption, which took place along the South Rift of the volcano. Third, the two scoria cones built up along the so-called West Rift of Etna, which represents one of the main magma-ascent zones of the volcano. We applied a multidisciplinary approach that could prove useful for other volcanoes whose past activity is still to be reconstructed. Critical reviews of historical records, new field surveys, petrochemical analyses and petrologic modelling of the Mts. Nuovo and Mezza Luna eruptions have been integrated with literature data. The results allowed improving the stratigraphic record of historical eruptions reported in the Mount Etna Geological map, modelling the sub-volcanic magmatic processes responsible for magma differentiation, and evidencing recurrent mechanisms of magma transfer at Etna. Indeed, the intrusion of a deep primitive magma along the South Rift is often associated with the activation of other rift zones that erupt residual magma stored in the shallow plumbing system.

Identification of Infrasound Regimes at Mount Etna using Pattern Recognition Techniques

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Eckel ◽  
Horst Langer ◽  
Mariangela Sciotto
Keyword(s):  
Pattern Recognition ◽  
Seismic Waves ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Amplitude Spectrum ◽  
Active Volcano ◽  
Mount Etna ◽  
Sound Waves ◽  
Color Code ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Pattern Recognition Techniques

<p>Mount Etna, Europe’s largest and most active volcano is situated close to the Metropolitan area of Catania with about 1 Million inhabitants. Continuous monitoring has therefore been carried out for decades. Among the various disciplines infrasound recordings play an important role in this context. Explosive activity near or above ground as well as shallow tremor processes are easier to identify with airborne sound waves than with seismic waves that are significantly scattered and refracted in the volcanic edifice. However, infrasound signals are often affected by noise, especially by wind noise in the summit area.</p><p>At Mount Etna five summit craters are currently known with fluctuating levels of activity. This leads to a wide variety of infrasound signal patterns interfered by changing noise levels. Manual distinction of noisy data from real volcanogenic signals brings along a considerable effort and requires expert knowledge. We therefore apply unsupervised pattern recognition techniques for this task. Extracting features from the amplitude spectrum we are able to distinguish different infrasound regimes with Self-Organizing maps (SOMs). SOMs allow to color-code the results for an intuitive interpretation and evidence the presence of transitional activity regimes. We define a reference data set from multiple months of infrasound waveforms to include as many activity regimes as possible to train the SOM. This enables a straight forward interpretation of new data.</p>

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