Timing of magma extraction during the Campanian Ignimbrite eruption (Campi Flegrei Caldera)

A core drilled within the northern part of the city of Napoli has offered the unique opportunity to observe in one single sequence the superposition of the four pyroclastic flow units emplaced during the Campanian Ignimbrite (CI) eruption. Such a stratigraphic succession has never been encountered before in natural or in man made exposures. Therefore the CI sequence was reconstructed only on the basis of stratigraphic correlations and compositional data (in literature). The occurrence of four superposed CI flows, together with all the data available (in literature) allowed us to better constrain the chemical stratigraphy of the deposit and the compositional structure of the CI magma chamber. The CI magma chamber includes two cogenetic magma layers, separated by a compositional gap. The upper magma layer was contaminated by interaction with radiogenic fluids. The two magma layers were extruded either individually or simultaneously during the course of the eruption. In the latter case they produced a hybrid magma. But no evidence of input of new geochemically and isotopically distinct magma batches just prior or during the eruption has been found. Comparison with the exposed CI deposits has permitted reconstruction of variable eruption phases and related magma withdrawal and caldera collapse episodes. The eruption was likely to have began with phreatomagmatic explosions followed by the formation of a sustained plinian eruption column fed by the simultaneous extraction from both magma layers. Towards the end of this phase the upward migration of the fragmentation surface and the decrease in magma eruption rate and/or activation of fractures formed an unstable pulsating column that was fed only by the most-evolved magma layer. This plinian phase was followed by the collapse of the eruption column and the beginning of caldera formation. At this stage expanded pyroclastic flows fed by the upper magma layer in the chamber generated. During the following major caldera collapse episode, the maximum mass discharge rate was reached and both magma layers were tapped, generating expanded pyroclastic flows. Towards the end of the eruption, only the deeper and less differentiated magma layer was tapped producing more concentrated pyroclastic flows that traveled short distances.     

Interaction between caldera collapse and eruptive dynamics during the Campanian Ignimbrite eruption,Phlegraean Fields,Italy

The Campanian Ignimbrite (36000 years B.P.) was produced by the explosive eruption of at least 80 km³ DRE of trachytic ash and pumice which covered most of the southern Italian peninsula and the eastern Mediterranean region. The eruption has been related to the 12-x15-km-diameter caldera located in the Phlegraean Fields, west of Naples. Proximal deposits on the periphery of the Phlegraean Fields comprise the following pyroclastic sequence from base to top: densely welded ignimbrite and lithic-rich breccias (unit A); sintered ignimbrite, low-grade ignimbrite and lithic-rich breccia (unit B); lithic-rich breccia and spatter agglutinate (unit C); and low-grade ignimbrite (unit D). Stratigraphic and componentry data, as well as distribution of accidental lithic types and the composition of pumice clasts of different units, indicate that coarse, lithic-rich breccias were emplaced at different stages during the eruption. Lower breccias are associated with fines-rich ignimbrites and are interpreted as co-ignimbrite lag breccia deposits. The main breccia unit (C) does not grade into a fines-rich ignimbrite, and therefore is interpreted as formed from a distinct lithic-rich flow. Units A and B exhibit a similar pattern of accidental lithic types, indicating that they were erupted from the same area, probably in the E of the caldera. Units C and D display a distinct pattern of lithics indicating expulsion from vent(s) that cut different areas. We suggest that unit C was ejected from several vents during the main stage of caldera collapse. Field relationships between spatter agglutinate and the breccia support the possibility that these deposits were erupted contemporaneously from vents with different eruptive style. The breccia may have resulted from a combination of magmatic and hydrothermal explosive activity that accompanied extensive fracturing and subsidence of the magma-chamber roof. The spatter rags probably derived from sustained and vigorous pyroclastic fountains. We propose that the association lithic-rich breccia and spatter agglutinate records the occurrence of catastrophic piecemeal collapse.     

The Plinian phase of the Campanian Ignimbrite eruption (Phlegrean Fields,Italy): evidence from density measurements and textural characterization of pumice

Textural characterization of pumice clasts from explosive volcanic eruptions provides constraints on magmatic processes through the quantification of crystal and vesicle content, size, shape, vesicle wall thickness and the degree of interconnectivity. The Plinian fallout deposit directly underlying the Campanian Ignimbrite (CI) eruption represents a suitable case to investigate pumice products with different textural characteristics and to link the findings to processes accompanying conduit magma ascent to the crater. The deposit consists of a lower (LFU) and upper (UFU) pumice lapilli bed generated by the sub-steady eruption of trachytic magma with <5 vol%. crystals and a peak discharge rate of 3.2×10 ⁸ kg/s. Density measurements were performed on samples collected from different stratigraphic intervals at the Voscone-type outcrop, and their textural characteristics were investigated at different magnifications through image analysis techniques. According to clast densities, morphologies and vesicle textures pumice clasts were classified into microvesicular (heterogeneous vesicles), tube (elongated/deformed vesicles) and expanded (coalesced/inflated vesicles).The combination of density data and textural investigations allowed us to characterize both representative areas and textural extremes of pumice products. Bulk vesicularity spans a broad interval varying from 0.46 to >0.90, with vesicle number density ranging from 10 ⁷–10 ⁸ cm ^-3. The degree of vesicle coalescence is high for all pumice types, with interconnected vesicles generally representing more than 90% of the bulk vesicle population. The results show a high degree of heterogeneous textures among pumice clasts from both phases of the eruption and within each eruption phase, the different pumice types and also within each single pumice type fragment. The origin of pumice clasts with different textural characteristics is ascribed to the development of conduit regions marked by different rheological behavior. The conclusions of this study are that vesicle deformation, degree of coalescence and intense shear at the conduit walls play a major role on the degassing process, hence affecting the entire conduit dynamics.     

The Breccia Museo formation, Campi Flegrei, southern Italy: geochronology, chemostratigraphy and relationship with the Campanian Ignimbrite eruption

The Breccia Museo is one of the most debated volcanic formations of the Campi Flegrei volcanic district. The deposit, made up of six distinctive stratigraphic units, has been interpreted by some as the proximal facies of the major caldera-forming Campanian Ignimbrite eruption, and by others as the product of several, more recent, independent and localized events. New geochemical and chemostratigraphical data and Ar–Ar age determinations for several units of the Breccia Museo deposits (~39 ka), correlate well with the Campanian Ignimbrite-forming eruption. The chemical zoning of the Breccia Museo deposits is interpreted here to be a consequence of a three-stage event that tapped a vertically zoned trachytic magma chamber. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Magma chamber evolution prior to the Campanian Ignimbrite and Neapolitan Yellow Tuff eruptions (Campi Flegrei,Italy)

The Campi Flegrei (Campanian Region, Italy) experienced two cataclysmic caldera-forming eruptions which produced the Campanian Ignimbrite (39 ka, CI) and the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff (15 ka, NYT). We studied the minor eruptions before both these large events to understand magma chamber evolution leading towards such catastrophic eruptions. Major, trace element, and Sr and Nd isotope compositions of pre-Campanian Ignimbrite and pre-Neapolitan Yellow Tuff products define distinct geochemical groups, which are here interpreted as distinct magma batches. These batches do not show any transitional trend towards the CI and NYT eruptions. The CI and NYT systems are decoupled geochemically and isotopically. At least one of the pre-CI and one of the pre-NYT erupted magma batches qualifies as mixing endmembers for the large CI and NYT eruptions, and thus, must have been stored in reservoirs for some time to remain available for the CI and NYT eruptions. The least evolved, isotopically distinct magma compositions that are typical of the last phases of the NYT and CI eruptions did not occur before caldera-forming events. Based on the new data, we propose the following scenario: Multiple magma chambers with distinct compositions existed below the Campi Flegrei before the CI and NYT eruptions and remained generally separated for some time unless new magma was recharged. In each case, one of the residing magma reservoirs was recharged by a new large-volume magma input of intermediate composition from a deeper differentiating magma reservoir. This may have triggered the coalescence of the previously separated reservoirs into one large chamber which fed the cataclysmic caldera-forming eruption. Large magma chambers in the Campi Flegrei may therefore be ephemeral features, interrupted by periods of evolution in individual, separated magma reservoirs.     

Discriminating the long distance dispersal of fine ash from sustained columns or near ground ash clouds: The example of the Pomici di Avellino eruption (Somma-Vesuvius,Italy)

Ash samples from tephra layers correlated with the Pomici di Avellino (Avellino Pumice) eruption of Somma-Vesuvius were collected in distal archives and their composition and particle morphology investigated in order to infer their behaviour of transportation and deposition. Differences in composition and particle morphologies were recognised for ash particles belonging to the magmatic Plinian and final phreatomagmatic phases of the eruption. The ash particles were dispersed in opposite directions during the two different phases of the eruption, and these directions are also different from that of coarse-grained fallout deposits. In particular, ash generated during magmatic phase and injected in the atmosphere to form a sustained column shows a prevailing SE dispersion, while ash particles generated during the final phreatomagmatic phase and carried by pyroclastic density currents show a general NW dispersion. These opposite dispersions indicate an ash dispersal influenced by both high and low atmosphere dynamics. In particular, the magmatic ash dispersal was first driven by stratospheric wind towards NE and then the falling particles encountered a variable wind field during their settling, which produced the observed preferential SE dispersal. The wind field encountered by the rising ash clouds that accompanied the pyroclastic density currents of the final phreatomagmatic phase was different with respect to that encountered by the magmatic ash, and produced a NW dispersal. These data demonstrate how ash transportation and deposition are greatly influenced by both high and low atmosphere dynamics. In particular, fine-grained particles transported in ash clouds of small-scale pyroclastic density currents may be dispersed over distances and cover areas comparable with those injected into the stratosphere by Plinian, sustained columns. This is a point not completely addressed by present day mitigation plans in case of renewal of activity at Somma-Vesuvius, and can yield important information also for other volcanoes potentially characterised by explosive activity.     

Hazard assessment of far-range volcanic ash dispersal from a violent Strombolian eruption at Somma-Vesuvius volcano, Naples, Italy: implications on civil aviation

Long-range dispersal of volcanic ash can disrupt civil aviation over large areas, as occurred during the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallaj?kull volcano in Iceland. Here we assess the hazard for civil aviation posed by volcanic ash from a potential violent Strombolian eruption of Somma-Vesuvius, the most likely scenario if eruptive activity resumed at this volcano. A Somma-Vesuvius eruption is of concern for two main reasons: (1) there is a high probability (38?%) that the eruption will be violent Strombolian, as this activity has been common in the most recent period of activity (between AD 1631 and 1944); and (2) violent Strombolian eruptions typically last longer than higher-magnitude events (from 3 to 7?days for the climactic phases) and, consequently, are likely to cause prolonged air traffic disruption (even at large distances if a substantial amount of fine ash is produced such as is typical during Vesuvius eruptions). We compute probabilistic hazard maps for airborne ash concentration at relevant flight levels using the FALL3D ash dispersal model and a statistically representative set of meteorological conditions. Probabilistic hazard maps are computed for two different ash concentration thresholds, 2 and 0.2?mg/m³, which correspond, respectively, to the no-fly and enhanced procedure conditions defined in Europe during the Eyjafjallaj?kull eruption. The seasonal influence of ash dispersal is also analysed by computing seasonal maps. We define the persistence of ash in the atmosphere as the time that a concentration threshold is exceeded divided by the total duration of the eruption (here the eruption phase producing a sustained eruption column). The maps of averaged persistence give additional information on the expected duration of the conditions leading to flight disruption at a given location. We assess the impact that a violent Strombolian eruption would have on the main airports and aerial corridors of the Central Mediterranean area, and this assessment can help those who devise procedures to minimise the impact of these long-lasting low-intensity volcanic events on civil aviation.     

The Campanian Ignimbrite and Codola tephra layers: Two temporal/stratigraphic markers for the Early Upper Palaeolithic in southern Italy and eastern Europe

Tephra layers from archaeological sites in southern Italy and eastern Europe stratigraphically associated with cultural levels containing Early Upper Palaeolithic industry were analysed. The results confirm the occurrence of the Campanian Ignimbrite tephra (CI; ca. 40 cal ka BP) at Castelcivita Cave (southern Italy), Temnata Cave (Bulgaria) and in the Kostenki–Borshchevo area of the Russian Plain. This tephra, originated from the largest eruption of the Phlegrean Field caldera, represents the widest volcanic deposit and one of the most important temporal/stratigraphic markers of western Eurasia. At Paglicci Cave and lesser sites in the Apulia region we recognise a chemically and texturally different tephra, which lithologically, chronologically and chemically matches the physical and chemical characteristics of the Plinian eruption of Codola; a poorly known Late Pleistocene explosive event from the Neapolitan volcanoes, likely Somma–Vesuvius. For this latter, we propose a preliminary age estimate of ca. 33 cal ka BP and a correlation to the widespread C-10 marine tephra of the central Mediterranean. The stratigraphic position of both CI and Codola tephra layers at Castelcivita and Paglicci help date the first and the last documented appearance of Early Upper Palaeolithic industries of southern Italy to ca. 41–40 and 33 cal ka BP, respectively, or between two interstadial oscillations of the Monticchio pollen record – to which the CI and Codola tephras are physically correlated – corresponding to the Greenland interstadials 10–9 and 5. In eastern Europe, the stratigraphic and chronometric data seem to indicate an earlier appearance of the Early Upper Palaeolithic industries, which would predate of two millennia at least the overlying CI tephra. The tephrostratigraphic correlation indicates that in both regions the innovations connected with the so-called Early Upper Palaeolithic – encompassing subsistence strategy and stone tool technology – appeared and evolved during one of the most unstable climatic phases of the Last Glacial period. On this basis, the marked environmental unpredictability characterising this time-span is seen as a potential ecological factor involved in the cultural changes observed.     

Tephra fallout hazard assessment at the Campi Flegrei caldera (Italy)

Tephra fallout associated with renewal of volcanism at the Campi Flegrei caldera is a serious threat to the Neapolitan area. In order to assess the hazards related with tephra loading, we have considered three different eruption scenarios representative of past activity: a high-magnitude event similar to the 4.1 ka Agnano-Monte Spina eruption, a medium-magnitude event, similar to the ∼3.8 ka Astroni 6 eruption, and a low-magnitude event similar to the Averno 2 eruption. The fallout deposits were reconstructed using the HAZMAP computational model, which is based on a semi-analytical solution of the two-dimensional advection–diffusion–sedimentation equation for volcanic tephra. The input parameters into the model, such as total erupted mass, eruption column height, and bulk grain-size and components distribution, were obtained by best-fitting field data. We carried out tens of thousands simulations using a statistical set of wind profiles, obtained from NOAA re-analysis. Probability maps, relative to the considered scenarios, were constructed for several tephra loads, such as 200, 300 and 400 kg/m². These provide a hazard assessment for roof collapses due to tephra loading that can be used for risk mitigation plans in the area.     

Evolution of the crustal magma plumbing system during the build-up to the 22-ka caldera-forming eruption of Santorini (Greece)

The formation of shallow, caldera-sized reservoirs of crystal-poor silicic magma requires the generation of large volumes of silicic melt, followed by the segregation of that melt and its accumulation in the upper crust. The 21.8?±?0.4-ka Cape Riva eruption of Santorini discharged >10 km³ of crystal-poor dacitic magma, along with <<1 km³ of hybrid andesite, and collapsed a pre-existing lava shield. We have carried out a field, petrological, chemical, and high-resolution ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar chronological study of a sequence of lavas discharged prior to the Cape Riva eruption to constrain the crustal residence time of the Cape Riva magma reservoir. The lavas were erupted between 39 and 25 ka, forming a ～2-km³ complex of dacitic flows, coulées and domes up to 200 m thick (Therasia dome complex). The Therasia dacites show little chemical variation with time, suggesting derivation from one or more thermally buffered reservoirs. Minor pyroclastic layers occur intercalated within the lava succession, particularly near the top. A prominent pumice fall deposit correlates with the 26-ka Y-4 ash layer found in deep-sea sediments SE of Santorini. One of the last Therasia lavas to be discharged was a hybrid andesite formed by the mixing of dacite and basalt. The Cape Riva eruption occurred no more than 2,800?±?1,400 years after the final Therasia activity. The Cape Riva dacite is similar in major element composition to the Therasia dacites, but is poorer in K and most incompatible trace elements (e.g. Rb, Zr and LREE). The same chemical differences are observed between the Cape Riva and Therasia hybrid andesites, and between the calculated basaltic mixing end-members of each series. The Therasia and Cape Riva dacites are distinct silicic magma batches and are not related by shallow processes of crystal fractionation or assimilation. The Therasia lavas were therefore not simply precursory leaks from the growing Cape Riva magma reservoir. The change 21.8 ky ago from a magma series richer in incompatible elements to one poorer in those elements is one step in the well documented decrease with time of incompatibles in Santorini magmas over the last 530 ky. The two dacitic magma batches are interpreted to have been emplaced sequentially into the upper crust beneath the summit of the volcano, the first (Therasia) then being partially, or wholly, flushed out by the arrival of the second (Cape Riva). This constrains the upper-crustal residence time of the Cape Riva reservoir to less than 2,800?±?1,400 years, and the associated time-averaged magma accumulation rate to >0.004 km³ year^-1. Rapid ascent and accumulation of the Cape Riva dacite may have been caused by an increased flux of mantle-derived basalt into the crust, explaining the occurrence of hybrid andesites (formed by the mixing of olivine basalt and dacite in approximately equal proportions) in the Cape Riva and late Therasia products. Pressurisation of the upper crustal plumbing system by sustained, high-flux injection of dacite and basalt may have triggered the transition from prolonged, largely effusive activity to explosive eruption and caldera collapse.     

Simulating the dispersal of tephra from the 1991 Pinatubo eruption: Implications for the formation of widespread ash layers

PUFF and HAZMAP, two tephra dispersal models developed for volcanic hazard mitigation, are used to simulate the climatic 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. PUFF simulations indicate that the majority of ash was advected away from the source at the level of the tropopause (~ 17 km). Several eruptive pulses injected ash and SO₂ gas to higher altitudes (~ 25 km), but these pulses represent only a small fraction (~ 1%) of the total erupted material released during the simulation. Comparison with TOMS images of the SO₂ cloud after 71 and 93 h indicate that the SO₂ gas originated at an altitude of ~ 25 km near the source and descended to an altitude of ~ 22 km as the cloud moved across the Indian Ocean. HAZMAP simulations indicate that the Pinatubo tephra fall deposit in the South China Sea was formed by an eruption cloud with the majority of the ash concentrated at a height of 16–18 km. Results of this study demonstrate that the largest concentration of distal ash was transported at a level significantly below the maximum eruption column height (~ 40 km) and at a level below the calculated height of neutral buoyancy (~ 25 km). Simulations showed that distal ash transport was dominated by atmospheric circulation patterns near the regional tropopause. In contrast, the movement of the SO₂ cloud occurred at higher levels, along slightly different trajectories, and may have resulted from gas/particle segregations that took place during intrusion of the Pinatubo umbrella cloud as it moved away from source.     

The structure of the Campanian Plain and the activity of the Neapolitan volcanoes (Italy)

The central Campanian Plain is dominated by the structural depression of Acerra whose origin is tectonic, but may have been enlarged and further depressed after the eruption of the Campanian Ignimbrite (42-25 ka). The deposits of the Campanian Ignimbrite are possibly the results of multiple eruptions with huge pyroclastic deposits that covered all the Campanian Plain.The more recent activity of Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei and Procida occurred on the borders of Acerra depression and resulted from a reactivation of regional faults after the Campanian Ignimbrite cycle. The activity of Vesuvius produced the building of a stratovolcano mostly by effusive and plinian explosive eruptions. The Campi Flegrei area, on the contrary, was dominated by the eruption of the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff at 12 ka that produced a caldera collapse of the Gulf of Pozzuoli. The caldera formation controlled the emplacement of the recent activity of Campi Flegrei and the new volcanoes were formed only within the caldera or along its rim.     

Bayesian event tree for eruption forecasting (BET_EF) at Vesuvius,Italy: a retrospective forward application to the 1631 eruption

Reliable forecasting of the next eruption at Vesuvius is the main scientific factor in defining effective strategies to reduce volcanic risk in one of the most dangerous volcanic areas of the world. In this paper, we apply a recently developed probabilistic code for eruption forecasting to new and independent historical data related to the pre-eruptive phase of the 1631 eruption. The results obtained point out three main issues: (1) the importance of “cold” historical data (according to Guidoboni 2008) related to pre-eruptive phases for evaluating forecasting tools and possibly refining them; (2) the BET_EF code implemented for Vesuvius would have forecasted the 1631 eruption satisfactorily, marking different stages of the pre-eruptive phase; (3) the code shows that pre-eruptive signals that significantly increase the probability of eruption were likely detected more than 2 months before the event.     

C age of the “Museum Breccia” (Campi Flegrei) and its relevance for the origin of the Campanian Ignimbrite

Field stratigraphic investigations and AMS ¹⁴C dating of carbon particles in paleosols has resulted in a framework of the sequence and age of the pyroclastic products in the Campi Flegrei area of Southern Italy. The Museum Breccia cannot be the early phase of the Campanian Ignimbrite, as was previously believed, but is from a smaller and later eruption with an age of approximately 17,900 y B.P. This date also precludes its correlation with the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff (12,000 y B.P.)     

The campanian ignimbrite: a major prehistoric eruption in the Neapolitan area (Italy)

A geological, chemical and petrographical study of the Campanian ignimbrite, a pyroclastic flow deposit erupted about 30,000 years ago on the Neapolitan area (Italy), is reported. The ignimbrite covered an area of at least 7,000 km²; it consists of a single flow unit, and the lateral variations in both pumice and lithic fragments indicate that the source was located in the Phlegraean Fields area. Textural features, areal distribution and its morphological constraints suggests that the eruption was of the type of highly expanded low-temperature pyroclastic cloud. The original composition was strongly modified by post-depositional chemical changes involving most of the major and trace elements. No primary differences in the composition of the magma have been recognized. The Campanian ignimbrite is a nearly saturated potassic trachyte, similar to many other trachytes of the Quaternary volcanic province of Campania. Its chemistry indicates an affinity with the so-called «low-K association» of the Roman volcanic province.     

A model for the origin of large silicic magma chambers: precursors of caldera-forming eruptions

The relatively low rates of magma production in island arcs and continental extensional settings require that the volume of silicic magma involved in large catastrophic caldera-forming (CCF) eruptions must accumulate over periods of 10 ⁵ to 10 ⁶ years. We address the question of why buoyant and otherwise eruptible high-silica magma should accumulate for long times in shallow chambers rather than erupt more continuously as magma is supplied from greater depths. Our hypothesis is that the viscoelastic behavior of magma chamber wall rocks may prevent an accumulation of overpressure sufficient to generate rhyolite dikes that can propagate to the surface and cause an eruption. The critical overpressure required for eruption is based on the model of Rubin (1995a). An approximate analytical model is used to evaluate the controls on magma overpressure for a continuously or episodically replenished spherical magma chamber contained in wall rocks with a Maxwell viscoelastic rheology. The governing parameters are the long-term magma supply, the magma chamber volume, and the effective viscosity of the wall rocks. The long-term magma supply, a parameter that is not typically incorporated into dike formation models, can be constrained from observations and melt generation models. For effective wall-rock viscosities in the range 10 ¹⁸ to 10 ²⁰ Pa s ^–1, dynamical regimes are identified that lead to the suppression of dikes capable of propagating to the surface. Frequent small eruptions that relieve magma chamber overpressure are favored when the chamber volume is small relative to the magma supply and when the wall rocks are cool. Magma storage, leading to conditions suitable for a CCF eruption, is favored for larger magma chambers (>10 ² km ³) with warm wall rocks that have a low effective viscosity. Magma storage is further enhanced by regional tectonic extension, high magma crystal contents, and if the effective wall-rock viscosity is lowered by microfracturing, fluid infiltration, or metamorphic reactions. The long-term magma supply rate and chamber volume are important controls on eruption frequency for all magma chamber sizes. The model can explain certain aspects of the frequency, volume, and spatial distribution of small-volume silicic eruptions in caldera systems, and helps account for the large size of granitic plutons, their association with extensional settings and high thermal gradients, and the fact that they usually post-date associated volcanic deposits.     

The 2009 paroxysmal explosions at Stromboli (Italy): magma mixing and eruption dynamics

Three small-scale paroxysmal explosions (also called major explosions) interrupted ordinary mild Strombolian activity at Stromboli on May 3, November 8 and 24, 2009. Products were largely confined to the summit area, except in the November 24 event, during which coarse pumiceous lapilli reached the coast. Emission of crystal-poor pumice closely mingled with crystal-rich products characterized the three events. The textural and chemical study of minerals and glassy matrices revealed that the two end-members are mingled together physically in the May 3 and November 24 pumice, whereas November 8 products contain heterogeneous glass with intermediate compositions derived from chemical mixing between crystal-rich and crystal-poor magmas. We here discuss the different degrees of interaction between the two magmas in the three explosions in terms of magma dynamics during small-scale paroxysms.     

Statistical analysis of textural data from complex pyroclastic sequences: implications for fragmentation processes of the Agnano-Monte Spina Tephra (4.1 ka), Phlegraean Fields, southern Italy

The Agnano-Monte Spina eruption (4.1 ka) generated pyroclastic deposits with complex internal stratigraphy that reflects variations in eruptive style. To obtain constraints on the fragmentation processes, we analysed grain-size and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) data by means of multivariate statistical techniques of the cluster and factor analysis types. The results allow the identification of end-member deposits related to either pure magmatic activity, or pure phreatomagmatic activity. In addition, some deposits show evidence of the contemporaneous operation of both end-member fragmentation modes. The presence of the two contrasting fragmentation processes during the various phases of explosive activity is tentatively interpreted to be a function in inhomogeneities in gas exsolution processes within the magma column that feeds the eruption.