The development of compound lava fields at Mount Etna

The formation of compound lava fields is a common feature of basaltic volcanic areas such as Mount Etna and Hawaii. It is generally promoted by a breakin-slope which results into a decrease of the mean flow velocity and the rapid adjustment to new rheological conditions. In fact, on a steep slope the flow is generally focused into long-lived lava tubes or channels. On the contrary, in correspondence of a flat ground the propagation of a lava field is guaranteed by the continuos opening of new ephemeral vents, and by the overlapping of lava lobes or tongues the length of which is order of 10^?1?10² m. At Mount Etna these flow units show a complex structure which reflects the existence of a central plug zone and lateral shear zones, and an internal structure characterized by a succession of lava layers separated by gas-rich layers which occur in correspondence of vesicle alignments. Such internal structure insulates the active moving core and preserves high lava temperatures, favoring the advancement of the flow units. The evolution of a compound lava field may be thus envisaged as a spatial and temporal succession of lava tubes. An example of this situation may be found in the 1983 and 1991–93 Etnean eruptions, where the propagation of long-lived compound lava fields through a great number of small subarterial flow units gave origin to a source of natural hazards for some of the communities living on the flanks of the volcano. The detailed study of the structure of the described lava flows helps understand their emplacement dynamics and evaluate the associated volcanic, hazard.