The earliest open conduit eruptive center of the Etnean region: evidence from aeromagnetic, geophysical, and geological data

Abstract

At Mount Etna, the present-day active volcano is an open conduit structure characterized by continuous eruptive activity. Such conditions have been thought unique in the evolution of the Etnean volcano as well as in the Mediterranean region. However, a review study of available geophysical data and models, combined with geological records, petrographic and geochemical considerations, has led us to consider that a large area of about 28 km2 located in Val Calanna, on the eastern side of Valle del Bove, can be interpreted as the site of an old open conduit volcano. A dyke swarm outcrops in the area, whose deep alteration and fumarolization can be attributed to the sustained passage of volcanic gases over long periods. Radiometric dating yields an age of about 129 ka. This finding sheds new light on the evolution of Mount Etna volcano, indicating that the tectonic conditions leading to an open conduit volcano must also have been active in the past.