Volcanic tremor at Mt. Etna: Inferences on magma dynamics during effusive and explosive activity

During 1999, the volcanic activity at Mt. Etna was both explosive and effusive at the summit craters: Strombolian activity, lava fountains and lava flows affected different areas of the volcano, involving three of the four summit craters. Results from analysis of the 1999 volcanic tremor features are shown at two different time scales. First, the long-term time variation of the features of the volcanic tremor (including spectral and polarization parameters), during the entire year, was compared with the evolution of the eruptive activity. This approach demonstrated the good agreement between tremor data and observed eruptive activity; the activation of different tremor sources was suggested. Then, a more refined analysis of the volcanic tremor, recorded during 14 lava fountain eruptions, was performed. In particular, a shift of the dominant frequencies towards lower values was noted which corresponds with increasing explosive activity. Similar behaviour in the frequency content has already been observed in other explosive eruptions at Mt. Etna as well as on other volcanoes. This behaviour has been explained in terms of either an increase in the tremor source dimension or a decrease in the sound speed in the magma within the conduit. These results confirm that the volcanic tremor is a powerful tool for better understanding the physical processes controlling explosive eruptions at Mt. Etna volcano.     

Volcanic Tremor at Mt. Etna,Italy, Preceding and Accompanying the Eruption of July – August, 2001

The July 17 – August 9, 2001 flank eruption of Mt. Etna was preceded and accompanied by remarkable changes in volcanic tremor. Based on the records of stations belonging to the permanent seismic network deployed on the volcano, we analyze amplitude and frequency content of the seismic signal. We find considerable changes in the volcanic tremor which mark the transition to different styles of eruptive activity, e.g., lava fountains, phreatomagmatic activity, Strombolian explosions. In particular, the frequency content of the signal decreases from 5 Hz to 3 Hz at our reference station ETF during episodes of lava fountains, and further decreases at about 2 Hz throughout phases of intense lava emission. The frequency content and the ratios of the signal amplitude allow us to distinguish three seismic sources, i.e., the peripheral dike which fed the eruption, the reservoir which fed the lava fountains, and the central conduit. Based on the analysis of the amplitude decay of the signal, we highlight the migration of the dike from a depth of ca. 5 km to about 1 km between July 10 and 12. After the onset of the effusive phase, the distribution of the amplitude decay at our stations can be interpreted as the overall result of sources located within the first half kilometer from the surface. Although on a qualitative basis, our findings shed some light on the complex feeding system of Mt. Etna, and integrate other volcanological and geophysical studies which tackle the problem of magma replenishment for the July–August, 2001 flank eruption. We conclude that volcanic tremor is fundamental in monitoring Mt. Etna, not only as a marker of the different sources which act within the volcano edifice, but also of the diverse styles of eruptive activity. An erratum to this article is available at .     

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.     

Statistical analysis of seismic and eruptive activities at Mt. Etna during 1978–1987

Seismic and eruptive activities that occurred at Etna volcano during the decade 1978–1987 have been analyzed statistically. The seismic activity consists of about 7500 events. This catalog has been found complete above the magnitude threshold 2.8. On the basis of the complete catalog (1458 earthquakes), the clustering features of seismicity have been investigated. The hypothesis of a Simple Poisson process is rejected. Applying a Generalized Poisson process of the Shlien and Toksoz (1970) type, the “E” parameter of cluster size appears to be strongly dependent on the chosen time interval. The application of Gasperini and Mulargia (1989) algorithm for identifying the single earthquake sequences indicates that the whole period is composed of only three sequences. Etnean seismicity appears therefore characterized by a “diffuse” low-magnitude (less than about 3.0) earthquake occurrence. From the volcanological point of view, two time series of eruptions (flank and flank + summit) have been analyzed in order to identify different regimes in both magma output and inter-event time. No change-points are apparent in the magma output series, while both inter-event time series of flank and flank + summit eruptions are characterized by one change-point each. No evident relation between the series of eruptions and the identified earthquake sequences is apparent.     

Volcanic tremor at Mount Etna (January 1984–March 1985): its relationship to the eruptive activity and modelling of the summit feeding system

Spectral analyses of volcanic tremor at Etna during January 1984–March 1985, have been performed and the relationship between tremor energy and observed volcanic phenomena have been examined. The highest energy levels have been observed during the paroxysmal phases of eruptions, whereas a gradual decrease was linked to the lowering of eruptive activity. Amplitude variations with time of some spectral frequency peaks (0.95, 1.20, 1.45, 1.65, 1.80 and 2.40 Hz) have been compared with volcanic activity at the summit craters, and on the basis of these results a new schematic diagram for the feeding system of the summit vents is proposed.     

Activity of Mount Etna preceding the February 1999 fissure eruption: inferred mechanism from seismological and geochemical data

The February 1999 eruption of Mt. Etna took place through a fissure on the SSE flank of the cone of the summit SE Crater. This event was preceded by continuous activity since 1995, sometimes accompanied by violent outbursts from one or more of the three other summit craters (NE Crater, Voragine or Chasm, and Bocca Nuova), and finally by a series of 20 short-lived eruptions from the SE Crater between September 1998 and January 1999. These phenomena could be accounted for by invoking gradual invasion of a shallow small reservoir by more primitive, basic and gas-rich magma coming from depth. The shallow “chamber” is more likely to be a plexus of dikes, which had developed during the previous years (1995–1997), following variations of the local stress field owing to enhanced magma generation and accumulation at the top of the mantle. Magma injection and mixing is evidenced through geochemistry, whereas the state of stress of the volcanic pile and underlying crust is determined using earthquake distributions and focal mechanisms. The behaviour of the seismic tremor amplitude appears to be a good indicator of the state of unrest of the volcano, although not always directly linked to the relative energy of degassing phenomena.     

Incorporating the eruptive history in a stochastic model for volcanic eruptions

We show how a stochastic version of a general load-and-discharge model for volcanic eruptions can be implemented. The model tracks the history of the volcano through a quantity proportional to stored magma volume. Thus large eruptions can influence the activity rate for a considerable time following, rather than only the next repose as in the time-predictable model. The model can be fitted to data using point-process methods. Applied to flank eruptions of Mount Etna, it exhibits possible long-term quasi-cyclic behavior, and to Mauna Loa, a long-term decrease in activity. An extension to multiple interacting sources is outlined, which may be different eruption styles or locations, or different volcanoes. This can be used to identify an ‘average interaction’ between the sources. We find significant evidence that summit eruptions of Mount Etna are dependent on preceding flank eruptions, with both flank and summit eruptions being triggered by the other type. Fitted to Mauna Loa and Kilauea, the model had a marginally significant relationship between eruptions of Mauna Loa and Kilauea, consistent with the invasion of the latter's plumbing system by magma from the former.     

Review of Microgravity Observations at Mt. Etna: A Powerful Tool to Monitor and Study Active Volcanoes

Microgravity observations at Mt. Etna have been routinely performed as both discrete (since 1986) and continuous (since 1998) measurements. In addition to describing the methodology for acquiring and reducing gravity data from Mt. Etna, this paper provides a collection of case studies aimed at demonstrating the potential of microgravity to investigate the plumbing system of an active volcano and detect forerunners to paroxysmal volcanic events. For discrete gravity measurements, results from 1994–1996 and 2001 are reported. During the first period, the observed gravity changes are interpreted within the framework of the Strombolian activity which occurred from the summit craters. Gravity changes observed during the first nine months of 2001 are directly related to subsurface mass redistributions which preceded, accompanied and followed the July-August 2001 flank eruption of Mt. Etna. Two continuous gravity records are discussed: a 16-month (October 1998 to February 2000) sequence and a 48-hour (26–28 October, 2002) sequence, both from a station within a few kilometers of the volcano's summit. The 16-month record may be the longest continuous gravity sequence ever acquired at a station very close to the summit zone of an active volcano. By cross analyzing it with contemporaneous discrete observations along a summit profile of stations, both the geometry of a buried source and its time evolution can be investigated. The shorter continuous sequence encompasses the onset of an eruption from a location only 1.5 km from the gravity station. This gravity record is useful for establishing constraints on the characteristics of the intrusive mechanism leading to the eruption. In particular, the observed gravity anomaly indicates that the magma intrusion occurred “passively” within a fracture system opened by external forces.     

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.     

Statistical analysis of intermittent volcanic tremor associated with the September 1989 summit explosive eruptions at Mount Etna, Sicily

The pattern of volcanic tremor accompanying the 1989 September eruption at the south-east summit crater of Mount Etna is studied. In specific, sixteen episodes of lava fountaining, which occurred in the first phase of the eruption, are analysed. Their periodic behaviour, also evidenced by autocorrelation, allows us to define the related tremor amplitude increases as intermittent volcanic tremor episodes. Focusing on the regular intermittent behaviour found for both lava fountains and intermittent volcanic tremors, we tried an a posteriori forecast using simple statistical methods based on linear regression and the Student’ t-test. We performed the retrospective statistical forecast, and found that several eruptions would have been successfully forecast. In order to focus on the source mechanism of tremor linked to lava fountains, we investigated the relationship between volcanic and seismic parameters. A mechanism based on a shallow magma batch ‘regularly’ refilled from depth is suggested.     

Seismic patterns and fluid-dynamic features preceding and accompanying the January 15, 1990 eruptive paroxysm on Mt. Etna (Italy)

On the basis of data collected during a seismological investigation carried out on Mt. Etna (Italy) during a phase of the volcanic activity marked by progressive transition from Strombolian bursts to effusive paroxysms at the SE crater (January 1990), three types of seismic regime have been recognized. They are interpreted to be linked to modifications in the regimes of volcanic gases and vapours within the upper levels of the magma column, as suggested by recent studies on the dynamics of magmatic fluids. Our analysis also reveals that the use of usual seismic parameters, such as the temporal patterns associated with the occurrence of discrete low-frequency events (“spindles”) and the coefficient m of the Ishimoto-Iida law, can furnish information about variations in the behaviour of the system before the irreversible evolution of the volcanic activity toward eruptive paroxysms.     

Observations of volcanic tremor during the January–February 2005 eruption of Mt. Veniaminof,Alaska

Mt. Veniaminof, Alaska Peninsula, is a stratovolcano with a summit ice-filled caldera containing a small intracaldera cone and active vent. From January 2 to February 21, 2005, Mt. Veniaminof erupted. The eruption was characterized by numerous small ash emissions (VEI 0 to 1) and accompanied by low-frequency earthquake activity and volcanic tremor. We have performed spectral analyses of the seismic signals in order to characterize them and to constrain their source. Continuous tremor has durations of minutes to hours with dominant energy in the band 0.5–4.0 Hz, and spectra characterized by narrow peaks either irregularly (non-harmonic tremor) or regularly spaced (harmonic tremor). The spectra of non-harmonic tremor resemble those of low-frequency events recorded simultaneously with surface ash explosions, suggesting that the source mechanisms might be similar or related. We propose that non-harmonic tremor at Mt. Veniaminof results from the coalescence of gas bubbles while low-frequency events are related to the disruption of large gas pockets within the conduit. Harmonic tremor, characterized by regular and quasi-sinusoidal waveforms, has duration of hours. Spectra containing up to five harmonics suggest the presence of a resonating source volume that vibrates in a longitudinal acoustic mode. An interesting feature of harmonic tremor is that frequency is observed to change over time; spectral lines move towards higher or lower values while the harmonic nature of the spectra is maintained. Factors controlling the variable characteristics of harmonic tremor include changes in acoustic velocity at the source and variations of the effective size of the resonator.     

The occurrence of Mt Barca flank eruption in the evolution of the NW periphery of Etna volcano (Italy)

Geological surveys, tephrostratigraphic study, and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age determinations have allowed us to chronologically constrain the geological evolution of the lower NW flank of Etna volcano and to reconstruct the eruptive style of the Mt Barca flank eruption. This peripheral sector of the Mt Etna edifice, corresponding to the upper Simeto valley, was invaded by the Ellittico volcano lava flows between 41 and 29 ka ago when the Mt Barca eruption occurred. The vent of this flank eruption is located at about 15 km away from the summit craters, close to the town of Bronte. The Mt Barca eruption was characterized by a vigorous explosive activity that produced pyroclastic deposits dispersed eastward and minor effusive activity with the emission of a 1.1-km-long lava flow. Explosive activity was characterized by a phreatomagmatic phase followed by a magmatic one. The geological setting of this peripheral sector of the volcano favors the interaction between the rising magma and the shallow groundwater hosted in the volcanic pile resting on the impermeable sedimentary basement. This process produced phreatomagmatic activity in the first phase of the eruption, forming a pyroclastic fall deposit made of high-density, poorly vesicular scoria lapilli and lithic clasts. Conversely, during the second phase, a typical strombolian fall deposit formed. In terms of hazard assessment, the possible occurrence of this type of highly explosive flank eruption, at lower elevation in the densely inhabited areas, increases the volcanic risk in the Etnean region and widens the already known hazard scenario.     

Echo-resonance and hydraulic perturbations in magma cavities: application to the volcanic tremor of Etna (Italy) in relation to its eruptive activity

A study is presented of spectral features of volcanic tremor recorded at Mount Etna (Sicily, Italy) following the methods of analysis suggested by the resonant scattering formalism of Gaunaurd and Überall (1978, 1979a, 1979b) and the model for hydraulic origin of Seidl et al. (1981). The periods investigated include summit and flank eruptions that occurred between 1984 and 1993. Recordings from a permanent station located near the top of the volcano were used, and the temporal patterns associated with (a) the average spacing ( ) between consecutive spectral peaks in the frequency range 1–6 Hz, (b) the spectral shape and (c) the overall spectral amplitude were analyzed. values are thought to depend on the physical properties of magma, such as its density, which, in turn, is controlled by the degree of gas exsolution. Variations in the spectral shape are tentatively attributed to changes in the geometrical scattering from the boundary of resonant conduits and magma batches. Finally, the overall amplitude at the station should essentially reflect the state of turbulence of magma within the superficial ascending path. A limit in the application of the resonant scattering formalism to the study of volcanic tremor is given by the fact that the fundamental modes and integer harmonics are difficult to identify in the frequency spectra, as tremor sources are likely within cavities of very complex geometry, rather than in spherical or cylindrical chambers, as expected by theory. This study gives evidence of some correlations between the analyzed temporal patterns and the major events in the volcanic activity, related to both lava flow and explosions at the summit vents. In particular, relatively high values of have been attained during the SE crater eruption of 1984, the complex eruptive phases of September–October 1989 and the 1991–1993 flank eruption, suggesting the presence of a relatively dense magma for all of these events. Conversely, very low values have been recorded in coincidence with the December 1985 activity and the paroxysmal explosions at the summit craters of early 1990, which are interpreted here as fed by fluid-vesiculated magma. Appreciable modifications in the spectral shape have been observed in relation to changes of the volcanic activity that probably preceded the opening and disactivation of shallow dykes or magma batches. Finally, the overall amplitude seems to be a sensitive indicator of the state of gas turbulence within the shallow conduits, as is suggested by the high values attained during phases of intense volcanic activity.     

A data sequence acquired at Mt. Etna during the 2002–2003 eruption highlights the potential of continuous gravity observations as a tool to monitor and study active volcanoes

A 2.5-month long gravity sequence, encompassing the starting period of the 2002–2003 Etna eruption and coming from a summit station only 1 km away from the new fractures, is presented and discussed. The sequence comprises four hours-long anomalies that have a great chance to reflect mass redistributions linked to the ensuing activity. In particular, the start of the eruptive activity on the northeastern flank was marked by a gravity decrease as strong as about 400 μGal, which reverted soon afterwards. This strong decrease/increase anomaly is interpreted as the opening, by tectonic forces, of a fracture system along the Northeastern Rift of Mt. Etna, followed by an intrusion of magma from the central conduit to the new fractures. They were used by the intruding magma as a path to the eruptive vents at lower elevations.Afterwards, on three occasions, in November and December 2002, 6–12 h-lasting gravity decreases, with amplitude ranging between 10 and 30 μGal, were observed simultaneously with increases in the amplitude of the volcanic tremor from four seismic stations. A correlation analysis, between the gravity signal and the overall spectral amplitude of each tremor sequence is performed over the 7 November–9 December period. A marked anti-correlation is found over each contemporaneous gravity decrease/tremor increase, while, over the rest of the investigated period, the correlation is negligible. Accordingly, a joint source is inferred to have acted during the occurrence of the three common anomalies. On the grounds of some volcanological observations spanning the period covered by our analysis, we propose the temporary accumulation of a gas cloud at some level within the plumbing system of the volcano to have acted as a joint source.The present work is a further evidence of the potential of continuous gravity observations as a tool to monitor and study active volcanoes and encourages their employment in spite of the difficulty of running spring gravimeters in a continuous fashion under the adverse conditions normally encountered on the summit zone of an active volcano.     

What makes flank eruptions? The 2001 Etna eruption and its possible triggering mechanisms

Most flank eruptions within a central stratovolcano are triggered by lateral draining of magma from its central conduit, and only few eruptions appear to be independent of the central conduit. In order to better highlight the dynamics of flank eruptions in a central stratovolcano, we review the eruptive history of Etna over the last 100 years. In particular, we take into consideration the Mount Etna eruption in 2001, which showed both summit activity and a flank eruption interpreted to be independent from the summit system. The eruption started with the emplacement of a ~N-S trending peripheral dike, responsible for the extrusion of 75% of the total volume of the erupted products. The rest of the magma was extruded through the summit conduit system (SE crater), feeding two radial dikes. The distribution of the seismicity and structures related to the propagation of the peripheral dike and volumetric considerations on the erupted magmas exclude a shallow connection between the summit and the peripheral magmatic systems during the eruption. Even though the summit and the peripheral magmatic systems were independent at shallow depths (<3 km b.s.l.), petro-chemical data suggest that a common magma rising from depth fed the two systems. This deep connection resulted in the extrusion of residual magma from the summit system and of new magma from the peripheral system. Gravitational stresses predominate at the surface, controlling the emplacement of the dikes radiating from the summit; conversely, regional tectonics, possibly related to N-S trending structures, remains the most likely factor to have controlled at depth the rise of magma feeding the peripheral eruption.     

The November 2002 eruption at Piton de la Fournaise volcano,La Réunion Island: ground deformation,seismicity, and pit crater collapse

An eruption on the eastern flank of Piton de la Fournaise volcano started on 16 November, 2002 after 10 months of quiescence. After a relatively constant level of activity during the first 13 days of the eruption, lava discharge, volcanic tremor and seismicity increased from 29 November to 3 December. Lava effusion suddenly ceased on 3 December while shallow earthquakes beneath the Dolomieu summit crater were still recorded at a rate of about one per minute. This unusual activity continued and increased in intensity over the next three weeks, ending with the formation of a pit crater within Dolomieu. Based on ground deformation, measured by rapid-static and continuous GPS and an extensometer, seismic data, and lava effusion patterns, the eruptive period is divided into five stages: 1) slow summit inflation and sporadic seismicity; 2) rapid summit inflation and a short seismic crisis; 3) rapid flank inflation, onset of summit deflation, sporadic seismicity, accompanied by stable effusion; 4) flank inflation, coupled with summit deflation, intense seismicity, and increased lava effusion; and finally 5) little deflation, intense shallow seismicity, and the end of lava effusion. We propose a model in which the pre-intrusive inflation of Stage 1 in the months preceding the eruption was caused by a magma body located near sea level. The magma reservoir was the source of an intrusion rising under the summit during Stage 2. In Stage 3, the magma ponded at a shallow level in the edifice while the lateral injection of a radial dike reached the surface on the eastern flank of the basaltic volcano, causing lava effusion. Pressure decrease in the magmatic plumbing system followed, resulting in upward migration of a collapse front, forming a subterranean column of debris by faulting and stoping. This caused intense shallow seismicity, increase in discharge of lava and volcanic tremor at the lateral vent in Stage 4 and, eventually the formation of a pit crater in Stage 5.     

Summit eruptions of Klyuchevskoi Volcano,Kamchatka in the early 21st century, 2003–2013

This paper is concerned with eruptions, seismicity, and deformation on Klyuchevskoi Volcano during the summit eruptions of 2012–2013, with the condition of the central crater during the eruptions, and with the effect that is exerted by the height of the lava in the crater on the start of the eruptions. The recurrence of eruptions in the North Volcanic Cluster (NVC), Kamchatka showed that all the four volcanoes in the cluster (Klyuchevskoi, Tolbachik, Shiveluch, and Bezymyannyi) become active during definite phases that were identified in the 18.6-year lunar cycle. This relationship of the NVC eruptions to the active phases in the 18.6-year lunar cycle, as well as the relationship to the 11-year solar activity, showed that eruptions can be predicted, yielding long-term estimates of activity for the NVC volcanoes. The short-term prediction of volcanic eruptions requires knowledge of seismicity and deformation that occur during the precursory period and during the occurrence of eruptions. Seismic activity during the summit eruptions of 2003–2013 took place in the depth range 20–25 km during repose periods of the volcano and at depths of 0–5 km in the volcanic edifice during the eruption. One notes an almost complete absence of any earthquakes at great depths during the summit eruptions. Volcanic tremor (VT) was recorded from the time that the eruptions began and continued to occur until the end. Geodetic measurements showed that the center of the magma pressure beneath the volcano during the parasitic and summit eruptions of 1979–1989 moved in the 4–17 km depth range, while during the summit eruptions of 2003–2013 the center moved in the 15–20 km range. These changes in the depth of the center of magma pressure may have been related to evacuation from shallow magma chambers.     

Fault-controlled Soil CO2 Degassing and Shallow Magma Bodies: Summit and Lower East Rift of Kilauea Volcano (Hawaii), 1997

Soil CO₂ flux measurements were carried out along traverses across mapped faults and eruptive fissures on the summit and the lower East Rift Zone of Kilauea volcano. Anomalous levels of soil degassing were found for 44 of the tectonic structures and 47 of the eruptive fissures intercepted by the surveyed profiles. This result contrasts with what was recently observed on Mt. Etna, where most of the surveyed faults were associated with anomalous soil degassing. The difference is probably related to the differences in the state of activity at the time when soil gas measurements were made: Kilauea was erupting, whereas Mt. Etna was quiescent although in a pre-eruptive stage. Unlike Mt. Etna, flank degassing on Kilauea is restricted to the tectonic and volcanic structures directly connected to the magma reservoir feeding the ongoing East Rift eruption or in areas of the Lower East Rift where other shallow, likely independent reservoirs are postulated. Anomalous soil degassing was also found in areas without surface evidence of faults, thus suggesting the possibility of previously unknown structures. Received: November 2003, revised: January 2005, accepted: January 2005