Hazards from pyroclastic density currents at Mt. Etna (Italy)

Despite the recent recognition of Mount Etna as a periodically violently explosive volcano, the hazards from various types of pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) have until now received virtually no attention at this volcano. Large-scale pyroclastic flows last occurred during the caldera-forming Ellittico eruptions, 15–16 ka ago, and the risk of them occurring in the near future is negligible. However, minor PDCs can affect much of the summit area and portions of the upper flanks of the volcano. During the past ~ 20 years, small pyroclastic flows or base-surge-like vapor and ash clouds have occurred in at least 8 cases during summit eruptions of Etna. Four different mechanisms of PDC generation have been identified during these events: (1) collapse of pyroclastic fountains (as in 2000 and possibly in 1986); (2) phreatomagmatic explosions resulting from mixing of lava with wet rock (2006); (3) phreatomagmatic explosions resulting from mixing of lava with thick snow (2007); (4) disintegration of the unstable flanks of a lava dome-like structure growing over the rim of one of the summit craters (1999). All of these recent PDCs were of a rather minor extent (maximum runout lengths were about 1.5 km in November 2006 and March 2007) and thus they represented no threat for populated areas and human property around the volcano. Yet, events of this type pose a significant threat to the lives of people visiting the summit area of Etna, and areas in a radius of 2 km from the summit craters should be off-limits anytime an event capable of producing similar PDCs occurs. The most likely source of further PDCs in the near future is the Southeast Crater, the youngest, most active and most unstable of the four summit craters of Etna, where 6 of the 8 documented recent PDCs originated. It is likely that similar hazards exist in a number of volcanic settings elsewhere, especially at snow- or glacier-covered volcanoes and on volcano slopes strongly affected by hydrothermal alteration.     

Volcanic tremor at Mt. Etna: State-of-the-art and perspectives

Volcanic tremor on Etna seems to have its origin within the main magma feeding system. On the basis of both spectral analyses at two permanent seismic stations and periodical measurements along the slopes of the volcano, two distinct sources are proposed. The former, characterized by low frequency contents (f<1.5 Hz), is located in a 2 km deep flat magma chamber, whereas the latter source seems to be linked to the upper part of the active vents.Turbulent motions in the magma-gas mixture, induced by escaping gases within the conduits, is one proposed cause of volcanic tremor on Etna (Seidl et al., 1981).From spectral analyses we propose approximate models of the feeding system of the main summit craters.Time variations of tremor energy were also investigated, and no regular patterns have been observed for the studied eruptions.More systematic information seems to be needed for a better knowledge of both the source model and location, and correlation between tremor features and volcanic activity.     

Intermittent behaviour of volcanic tremor at Mt. Etna

Harmonic tremor is widely studied and modelled in a very narrow frequency band (1–5 Hz) which represents the eigenfrequencies of a resonator assumed as the source of the phenomenon. Minimal effort was dedicated towards understanding its behaviour in larger temporal scales. Here we characterise the dynamic behaviour of volcanic tremor while evaluating the complete spectrum of the generalised dimension of the phase space. The starting time series constitutes the tremor amplitude picked every 10 minutes. The choice of this lag time is made on the basis of a qualitative analysis of the properties of the tremor. The results show intermittent behaviour of the dynamics which requires an 8-dimensional map to be completely described. An interesting result is that the maximum clustering of point density in phase space occurs in a monodimensional space which implies a periodicity sometimes observed experimentally. An appropriate predictive model needs more constraints on the nature of the eight variables involved in the process.     

Characterization of ultrafine aerosol particles in Mt. Etna emissions

Particulate emissions from Mt. Etna in the fine-size range below 100 nm were studied in June and September 1989. The aerosol particles were characterized by size, concentration and photoelectric activity. These quantities are sensitive to the physical and chemical properties of the magma. Concentrations varied from 10⁴ to 10⁷ cm^-3. The size distributions peak below 20 nm (radius) and are very narrow. The particles are generated mainly by nucleation and condensation of magmatic volatiles in a strong temperature gradient. The photoelectric activity of these particles can indicate high magma levels and increased exsolution of volatiles. It is therefore related to the observed activity of the respective crater and may be helpful as a prediction tool when used in conjunction with other volcano-monitoring techniques.     

Seismic activity accompanying the 1974 eruption of Mt. Etna

On January 30, 1974, an explosive eruption began on the western side of Etna. The activity evolved into two eruptive periods (January 30–February 17 and March 11–29). Two spatter cones (Mount De Fiore I and Mount De Fiore II) were formed at a height of about 1650 m a.s.l. and a distance of 6 km from the summit area. The effusive activity was very irregular with viscous lava flows of modest length.A seismic network of four stations was established around the upper part of the volcano on February 3. Moreover additional mobile stations were set up at several different sites in order to obtain more detailed informations on epicenter locations and spectral content of volcanic tremor.The volcanic activity is discussed in relation to the distribution of epicenters and the time-space distribution of the spectral characteristics of volcanic earthquakes and tremor. The characteristics of the seismic activity suggest that the flank eruption of Mount Etna was probably feed by a lateral branch of the main conduit yielding the activity at the Central Crater.     

Seismic activity preceding the 1983 eruption of Mt. Etna

The March–August, 1983 eruption of Mt. Etna can be considered as one of the most important in the last years.The analysis of seismic activity during the three months immediately before the eruption showed interesting variations of theb coefficient, in the frequency-magnitude relationship, that have been linked to possible changes of the stress field in the Etnean region.The eruption start was also preceded by a strong seismic crisis with epicenters mostly on the southern, eastern and southwestern flanks of the volcano, and characterized by the shallowness of most of the events (h3 km).The data analysis has led to a hypothesis on the eruption occurrence based on a model of dynamic evolution of the stress field acting on Mt. Etna.     

The changing morphology of an open lava channel on Mt. Etna

An open channel lava flow on Mt. Etna (Sicily) was observed during May 30–31, 2001. Data collected using a forward looking infrared (FLIR) thermal camera and a Minolta-Land Cyclops 300 thermal infrared thermometer showed that the bulk volume flux of lava flowing in the channel varied greatly over time. Cyclic changes in the channel's volumetric flow rate occurred over several hours, with cycle durations of 113–190 min, and discharges peaking at 0.7 m³ s⁻¹ and waning to 0.1 m³ s⁻¹. Each cycle was characterized by a relatively short, high-volume flux phase during which a pulse of lava, with a well-defined flow front, would propagate down-channel, followed by a period of waning flow during which volume flux lowered. Pulses involved lava moving at relatively high velocities (up to 0.29 m s⁻¹) and were related to some change in the flow conditions occurring up-channel, possibly at the vent. They implied either a change in the dense rock effusion rate at the source vent and/or cyclic-variation in the vesicle content of the lava changing its bulk volume flux. Pulses would generally overspill the channel to emplace pāhoehoe overflows. During periods of waning flow, velocities fell to 0.05 m s^–1. Blockages forming during such phases caused lava to back up. Occasionally backup resulted in overflows of slow moving ‘a‘ā that would advance a few tens of meters down the levee flank. Compound levees were thus a symptom of unsteady flow, where overflow levees were emplaced as relatively fast moving pāhoehoe sheets during pulses, and as slow-moving ‘a‘ā units during backup. Small, localized fluctuations in channel volume flux also occurred on timescales of minutes. Volumes of lava backed up behind blockages that formed at constrictions in the channel. Blockage collapse and/or enhanced flow under/around the blockage would then feed short-lived, wave-like, down-channel surges. Real fluctuations in channel volume flux, due to pulses and surges, can lead to significant errors in effusion rate calculations. Editorial responsibility: A. Woods     

A mesoscale study of the elemental composition of aerosols emitted from Mt. Etna Volcano

An aircraft survey was carried out for the study of the gaseous and particulate emissions over Mt Etna Volcano in September 1983. Samples were collected in the range from 10 to 300 km; a satisfying conservation of the elemental composition of the aerosol has been observed. Some activity fluctuation, 150 km from the emitter, was attributed to an ash fall episode. Sampling assumed that some crustal elements in the volcanic aerosol can be used to measure the plume dilution factor. New estimations of volcanic particulate fluxes are given.     

Three-dimensional velocity structure and seismicity of Mt. Etna Volcano, Italy

A new set of three-dimensional velocity models beneath Mt. Etna volcano is derived in the present work. We have used P- and S-wave arrivals from local earthquakes recorded at permanent and temporary seismic networks installed since 1980. A set of 1249 earthquakes recorded at more than four seismic stations was selected for traveltime inversion. The velocity models obtained by using different data selection criteria and parametrization display similar basic features, showing a high P-wave velocity at shallow depth in the SE quadrant, in close connection with a high gravimetric Bouguer anomaly. This area shares a low V_p/V_s ratio. High P-wave velocities and high V_p/V_s ratios are obtained along the central conduits, suggesting the presence of dense, intrusive magmatic bodies extending to a depth of about 20 km. The central intrusive core is surrounded by lower P-wave velocities. The relocated earthquake hypocenters also display the presence of an outward dipping brittle region, away from the central conduits, surrounding a ductile zone spatially related to the high P-wave velocity anomalies located in proximity to the central craters.     

High precision tilt observation at Mt. Etna Volcano,Italy

In 2007–2008, we installed on Mt. Etna two deep tilt stations using high resolution, self-leveling instruments. These installations are a result of accurate instrument tests, site selection, drilling and sensor positioning that has allowed detecting variations related to the principal diurnal and semidiurnal tides for first time on Mt. Etna using tilt data.     

Intrusive Mechanisms at Mt. Etna Forerunning the July-August 2001 Eruption from Seismic and Ground Deformation Data

In this work we present seismological and ground deformation evidence for the phase preparing the July 18 to August 9, 2001 flank eruption at Etna. The analysis performed, through data from the permanent seismic and ground deformation networks, highlighted a strong relationship between seismic strain release at depth and surface deformation. This joint analysis provided strong constraints on the magma rising mechanisms. We show that in the last ten years, after the 1991–1993 eruption, an overall accumulation of tension has affected the volcano. Then we investigate the months preceding the 2001 eruption. In particular, we analyse the strong seismic swarm on April 20–24, 2001, comprising more than 200 events (M_max = 3.6) with prevalent dextral shear fault mechanisms in the western flank. The swarm showed a ca. NE-SW earthquake alignment which, in agreement with previous cases, can be interpreted as the response of the medium to an intrusive process along the approximately NNW-SSE volcano-genetic trend. These mechanisms, leading to the July 18 to August 9, 2001 flank eruption, are analogous to ones observed some months before the 1991–1993 flank eruption and, more recently, in January 1998 before the February-November 1999 summit eruption.     

Monitoring Seismo-volcanic and Infrasonic Signals at Volcanoes: Mt. Etna Case Study

Volcanoes generate a broad range of seismo-volcanic and infrasonic signals, whose features and variations are often closely related to volcanic activity. The study of these signals is hence very useful in the monitoring and investigation of volcano dynamics. The analysis of seismo-volcanic and infrasonic signals requires specifically developed techniques due to their unique characteristics, which are generally quite distinct compared with tectonic and volcano-tectonic earthquakes. In this work, we describe analysis methods used to detect and locate seismo-volcanic and infrasonic signals at Mt. Etna. Volcanic tremor sources are located using a method based on spatial seismic amplitude distribution, assuming propagation in a homogeneous medium. The tremor source is found by calculating the goodness of the linear regression fit (R ²) of the log-linearized equation of the seismic amplitude decay with distance. The location method for long-period events is based on the joint computation of semblance and R ² values, and the location method of very long-period events is based on the application of radial semblance. Infrasonic events and tremor are located by semblance–brightness- and semblance-based methods, respectively. The techniques described here can also be applied to other volcanoes and do not require particular network geometries (such as arrays) but rather simple sparse networks. Using the source locations of all the considered signals, we were able to reconstruct the shallow plumbing system (above sea level) during 2011.     

Inferences on the main volcano-tectonic structures at Mt. Etna (Sicily) from a probabilistic seismological approach

We analysed earthquakes at Mt. Etna for the period 1983–1991 using a method that weights uncertainties in hypocentral location. Three-dimensional distributions of hypocentral probability and energy density were studied, and two first-order volcano-tectonic structures identified. The first, on the northern and western sides, is roughly NE–SW oriented, and strongly marks the northernmost limit of earthquake occurrences in the volcano region; the second, NNW–SSE trending, affects the south-eastern flank of the volcano, and is evidence for an almost aseismic uprise of magma along it. Both structures fit well with the geodynamic framework of eastern Sicily. On the contrary, there is no evidence for a main magma chamber, as postulated in the literature.     

Fault plane orientations of microearthquakes at Mt. Etna from the inversion of P-wave rise times

A crucial point in the analysis of tectonic earthquakes occurring in a volcanic area is the inference of the orientation of the structures along which the ruptures occur. These structures represent zones of weakness which could favor the migration of melt toward the surface and the assessment of their geometry is a fundamental step toward efficient evaluation of volcanic risk. We analyzed a high-quality dataset of 171 low-magnitude, tectonic earthquakes that occurred at Mt. Etna during the 2002–2003 eruption. We applied a recently developed technique aimed at inferring the source parameters (source size, dip and strike fault) and the intrinsic quality factor Q_p of P waves from the inversion of rise times. The technique is based on numerically calibrated relationships among the rise time of first P waves and the source parameters for a circular crack rupturing at a constant velocity. For the most of the events the directivity source effect did not allow us to constrain the fault plane orientation. For a subset of 45 events with well constrained focal mechanisms we were able to constrain the “true” fault plane orientation. The level of resolution of the fault planes was assessed through a non linear analysis based on the random deviates technique. The significance of the retrieved fault plane solutions and the fit of the assumed source model to data were assessed through a χ-square test. Most of the retrieved fault plane solutions agree with the geometrical trend of known surface faults. The inferred source parameters and Q_p are in agreement with the results of previous studies.     

Lava-flow hazard on the SE flank of Mt. Etna (Southern Italy)

A method for mapping lava-flow hazard on the SE flank of Mt. Etna (Sicily, Southern Italy) by applying the Cellular Automata model SCIARA_-fv is described, together with employed techniques of calibration and validation through a parallel Genetic Algorithm. The study area is partly urbanised; it has repeatedly been affected by lava flows from flank eruptions in historical time, and shows evidence of a dominant SSE-trending fracture system. Moreover, a dormant deep-seated gravitational deformation, associated with a larger volcano-tectonic phenomenon, affects the whole south-eastern flank of the volcano.     

First historical evidence of a significant Mt. Etna eruption in 1224

The 1224 Mt. Etna eruption is a significant event both in terms of the mass of erupted materials and because it involved the lower eastern slope of the volcano, reaching down to the sea. Nevertheless, it is unknown to current historical catalogues. According to the historical sources, only two other lava flows actually reached as far as the sea: in 396 BC, just north of the present-day inhabited area of Acireale, according to the geological data alone, and in 1669, when the lava covered the south-eastern flank of Mt. Etna and damaged Catania. We present and discuss the two medieval sources that attest to the eruption of 1224 and make available the original texts. Furthermore, through the close analysis of the historical and topographic context of the Etna area, taking account of the roads and ports in the early 13th century, we have tried to single out the possible area of the lava's outlet into the sea in 1224 on historical grounds. A repeat of an eruption similar to that of 1224 would have a serious impact today as the coast is densely populated.     

A model for eruptive mechanisms of Mt. Etna from the study of seismicity from 1978 to 1983

The papers deals with the seismic activity occurred on Mt. Etna from 1978 to 1983, and special emphasis is given to the seismicity linked to eruptive phenomena that took place during that period.Location of epicentres and hypocentres of all earthquakes occurred during the considered years and in association with each eruption has shown to be a useful tool to investigate relationships between seismicity and characteristics of various eruptions.A preliminary model is proposed to explain seismo-eruptive mechanisms controlling the uprise of magma and subsequent eruptions of Mt. Etna. The complexity of phenomena observed in the Etnean area could be interpreted as the result of the combined effect of regional stress field and local changes of it due to the volcano structural inhomogeneities. Thus, the earthquakes occurring in the studied area may cause either partial intrusion of magma at various depth, or final opening of surface fractures and subsequent output of lava.