The geology of the Yellow Trachytic Tuff, Roccamonfina volcano, Italy

The 227 ka Yellow Trachytic Tuff (YTT) of the Roccamonfina volcano is a multiunit ash-, pumice-, scoria- and lithic-ignimbrite with a proximal sandwave surge deposit. The YTT has an estimated volume of 0.42 km³. It erupted in the northern, subsided sector of the volcano from Gli Stagli caldera, and was channelled down ravines northward between the limestone range of M.Cesima and M. Camino that bounds the depression. Up to 5 YTT units occur close to the outer part of the northern rim of Gli Stagli. The basal four units are separated by lithic-rich marker layers which are inferred to result from gravity segregation followed by shearing. The first three units are consolidated by chabazite cementation, the fourth one is not consolidated. The uppermost unit is altered. One or two units characterize the YTT deposits in medial to distal zones. Here, the unconsolidated unit underlies the consolidated one. Absence of markers precludes correlation with proximal stratigraphy. The YTT is poorly sorted and, except the surge deposit and the altered faciés which are very fine-grained, has moderate median diameter typical of pyroclastic flows. Matrix, pumice, and scoria clasts are poorly vesicular. Matrix shards are equant, blocky-shaped, hydrated, and range from non-vesicular to vesicular. These features suggest that magma-water interaction played a role in the YTT eruption process, with some magmatic fragmentation.The complex near-Gli Stagli-rim YTT sequence could record the arrival of successive flows from the source vent, or also form by interaction of one or two flows with the caldera rim. In both cases, the absence of basal Plinian deposits in YTT units suggests that the eruptions were low pyroclastic fountains. The YTT distribution was controlled by interaction with the northern rim of Gli Stagli caldera and with the limestone range that bounds the northern depression. The near-rim stratigraphy shows the complete record of the eruption, whereas the medial to distal sequences provide only the initial pyroclastic flow possibly with the final flow spilling over the caldera rim. The proximal surge episode probably resulted from higher velocity of a later pyroclastic flow due to steeper slope of the volcano in that locality.