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The occurrence of Mt Barca flank eruption in the evolution of the NW periphery of Etna volcano (Italy)
Author(s)
Language
English
Obiettivo Specifico
3.5. Geologia e storia dei vulcani ed evoluzione dei magmi
Status
Published
JCR Journal
JCR Journal
Title of the book
Issue/vol(year)
/71 (2009)
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Pages (printed)
79-94
Issued date
January 2009
Keywords
Abstract
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.
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.
References
Andronico D, Branca S, Del Carlo P (2001) The 18.7 ka phreatomagmatic
flank eruption on Etna (Italy): relationship between
eruptive activity and sedimentary basement setting. Terra Nova
13(4):235–240
Andronico D, Branca S, Calvari S, Burton MR, Caltabiano T, Corsaro
RA, Del Carlo P, Garfì G, Lodato L, Miraglia L, Muré F, Neri M,
Pecora E, Pompilio M, Salerno G, Spampinato L (2005) A multidisciplinary
study of the 2002–03 Etna eruption: insights for a
complex plumbing system. Bull Volcanol 67(4):314–330
Ben Avraham Z, Grasso M (1990) Collisional zone segmentation in
Sicily and surrounding areas in the central Mediterranean. Ann
Tecton 4:131–139
Branca S (2003) Geological and geomorphologic evolution of the
Etna volcano NE flank and relationships between lava flow
invasions and erosional processes in the Alcantara Valley (Italy).
Geomorphology 53:247–261
Branca S, Catalano S (2000) Stratigraphical and morphological
criteria for the reconstruction of UBSU in the peripheral area of
Mt. Etna (Italy). Mem Soc Geol Ital 55:181–187
Branca S, Del Carlo P (2005) Types of eruptions of Etna Volcano AD
1670–2003: implications for short-term eruptive behaviour. Bull
Volcanol 67:732–742
Branca S, Ferrara V (2001) An example of river pattern evolution
produced during the lateral growth of a central polygenic
volcano: the case of the Alcantara river system, Mt Etna (Italy).
Catena 45/2:85–102
Bull Volcanol (2009) 71:79–94 93
Branca S, Coltelli M, Groppelli G (2004a) Geological evolution of
Etna volcano. In: Bonaccorso A, Calvari S, Coltelli M, Del
Negro C, Falsaperla S (ed) Mt Etna Volcano Laboratory. AGU
(Geophysical monograph series) 143, pp 49–63
Branca S, Coltelli M, Del Carlo P, Groppelli G, Norini G, Pasquaré G
(2004b) Stratigraphical approaches and tools in the geological
mapping of Mt. Etna volcano. In: Pasquarè G, Venturini C (eds)
Mapping geology in Italy. APAT-Dipartimento Difesa del Suolo,
Servizio Geologico d’Italia, S.EL.CA, Firenze, pp 145–156
Branca S, Coltelli M, De Beni E, Wijbrans J (2008) Geological
evolution of Mount Etna volcano (Italy) from earliest products
until the first central volcanism (between 500 and 100 ka ago)
inferred from geochronological and stratigraphic data. Int J Earth
Sci 97:135–152, DOI 10.1007/s00531-006-0152-0
Chester DK, Duncan AM (1979) Interrelationships between volcanic
and alluvial sequences in the evolution of the Simeto River
Valley, Mount Etna, Sicily. Catena 6:293–315
Chester DK, Duncan AM (1982) The interaction of volcano activity in
Quaternary times upon the evolution of the Alcantara and Simeto
rivers, Mount Etna, Sicily. Catena 9:319–342
Chester DK, Duncan AM, Guest JE, Kilburn CRJ (1985) Mount Etna:
the anatomy of a volcano. Chapman and Hall, London
Coltelli M, Del Carlo P, Vezzoli L (2000) Stratigraphic constrains for
the explosive activity in the last 100 ka at Etna volcano, Italy. Int
J Earth Sci 89:665–677
Corsaro RA, Pompilio M (2004) Dynamics of magmas at Mount Etna.
In: Bonaccorso A, Calvari S, Coltelli M, Del Negro C, Falsaperla
S (ed) Mt Etna Volcano Laboratory. AGU (Geophysical
monograph series) 143, 91–110
De Beni E, Wijbrans JR, Branca S, Coltelli M, Groppelli G (2005)
New results of 40Ar/39Ar dating constrain the timing of transition
from fissure-type to central volcanism at Mount Etna (Italy).
Terra Nova 17(3):292–298
Dunai TJ, Wijbrans JR (2000) Long-term cosmogenic 3He production
rates (152 ka–1.35 Ma) from 40Ar/39Ar dated basalt flows at 29°
N latitude. Earth Planet Sci Lett 176:147–156
Houghton BF, Wilson CJN (1989) A vesicularity index for pyroclastic
deposits. Bull Volcanol 51:451–462
Koppers AAP (2002) ArArCALC-software for 40Ar/39Ar age calculations.
Computers and Geosciences 28:605–619
Jarosewich E, Nelen JA, Norberg JA (1980) Reference samples for
electron microprobe analysis. Geostand Newsl 4(1):43–47
Le Maitre RW (ed.) (1989) A classification of igneous rocks and
glossary of terms. Blackwell Scient Publ, Oxford
Lentini F (1982) The geology of the Mt. Etna basement. Mem Soc
Geol Ital 23:7–25
Lentini F, Carbone S, Guarnieri P (2006) Collisional and postcollisional
tectonics of the Apenninic-Maghrebian orogen (southern
Italy). In Dilek Y and Pavlides S (eds) Postcollisional tectonics
and magmatism in the Mediterranean region and Asia. GSA
Special Paper 409, pp 57–81
McGuire WJ, Pullen AD (1989) Location and orientation of eruptive
fissures and feeder-dykes at Mount Etna: influence of gravitational
and regional tectonic stress regimes. J Volcanol Geotherm
Res 38:352–344
Rowland SK, Walker GPL (1987) Toothpaste lava: characteristics and
origin of a lava structural type transitional between pahoehoe and
aa. Bull Volcanol 49:631–641
Romano R (1982) Succession of the volcanic activity in the Etnean
area. Mem Soc Geol Ital 23:27–48
Romano R, Lentini F, Sturiale C et alii (1979) Carta Geologica del
Monte Etna Scala 1:50.000. In: Mem Soc Geol It 23
Salvador A (1987) Uncorformity-bounded stratigraphic units. Geol
Soc Am Bull 98:232–237
Salvador A (1994) International stratigraphic guide, GSA Salvador A
(ed), Boulder, 1–214
Scollo S, Del Carlo P, Coltelli M (2007) Tephra fallout of 2001 Etna
flank eruption: analysis of the deposit and plume dispersion. J
Volcanol Geotherm Res 160:147–164
Sturiale C (1967) Le vulcaniti rinvenute in un pozzo trivellato presso
Bronte (Etna). Atti Accad Gioenia Sci Nat XIX:93–109
Schneider BSH, Kuiper KF, Postma O, Wijbrans JR (2007) A furnace
extraction system for 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of young basalts.
EGU General Assembly 2007, EGU2007-A-10055
Taddeucci J, Pompilio M, Scarlato P (2004) Conduit processes during
the July–August 2001 explosive activity of Mt. Etna (Italy):
inferences from glass chemistry and crystal size distribution of
ash particles. J Volcanol Geotherm Res 137:33–54
Tanguy JC, Condomines M, Le Goff M, Chillemi V, La Delfa S,
Patanè G (2007) Mount Etna eruptions of the last 2,750 years:
revised chronology and location through archeomagnetic and
226Ra–230Th dating. Bull Volcanol 70:55–83
Walker GPL (1973) Explosive volcanic eruptions, a new classification
scheme. Geol Rundsch 62:431–446
flank eruption on Etna (Italy): relationship between
eruptive activity and sedimentary basement setting. Terra Nova
13(4):235–240
Andronico D, Branca S, Calvari S, Burton MR, Caltabiano T, Corsaro
RA, Del Carlo P, Garfì G, Lodato L, Miraglia L, Muré F, Neri M,
Pecora E, Pompilio M, Salerno G, Spampinato L (2005) A multidisciplinary
study of the 2002–03 Etna eruption: insights for a
complex plumbing system. Bull Volcanol 67(4):314–330
Ben Avraham Z, Grasso M (1990) Collisional zone segmentation in
Sicily and surrounding areas in the central Mediterranean. Ann
Tecton 4:131–139
Branca S (2003) Geological and geomorphologic evolution of the
Etna volcano NE flank and relationships between lava flow
invasions and erosional processes in the Alcantara Valley (Italy).
Geomorphology 53:247–261
Branca S, Catalano S (2000) Stratigraphical and morphological
criteria for the reconstruction of UBSU in the peripheral area of
Mt. Etna (Italy). Mem Soc Geol Ital 55:181–187
Branca S, Del Carlo P (2005) Types of eruptions of Etna Volcano AD
1670–2003: implications for short-term eruptive behaviour. Bull
Volcanol 67:732–742
Branca S, Ferrara V (2001) An example of river pattern evolution
produced during the lateral growth of a central polygenic
volcano: the case of the Alcantara river system, Mt Etna (Italy).
Catena 45/2:85–102
Bull Volcanol (2009) 71:79–94 93
Branca S, Coltelli M, Groppelli G (2004a) Geological evolution of
Etna volcano. In: Bonaccorso A, Calvari S, Coltelli M, Del
Negro C, Falsaperla S (ed) Mt Etna Volcano Laboratory. AGU
(Geophysical monograph series) 143, pp 49–63
Branca S, Coltelli M, Del Carlo P, Groppelli G, Norini G, Pasquaré G
(2004b) Stratigraphical approaches and tools in the geological
mapping of Mt. Etna volcano. In: Pasquarè G, Venturini C (eds)
Mapping geology in Italy. APAT-Dipartimento Difesa del Suolo,
Servizio Geologico d’Italia, S.EL.CA, Firenze, pp 145–156
Branca S, Coltelli M, De Beni E, Wijbrans J (2008) Geological
evolution of Mount Etna volcano (Italy) from earliest products
until the first central volcanism (between 500 and 100 ka ago)
inferred from geochronological and stratigraphic data. Int J Earth
Sci 97:135–152, DOI 10.1007/s00531-006-0152-0
Chester DK, Duncan AM (1979) Interrelationships between volcanic
and alluvial sequences in the evolution of the Simeto River
Valley, Mount Etna, Sicily. Catena 6:293–315
Chester DK, Duncan AM (1982) The interaction of volcano activity in
Quaternary times upon the evolution of the Alcantara and Simeto
rivers, Mount Etna, Sicily. Catena 9:319–342
Chester DK, Duncan AM, Guest JE, Kilburn CRJ (1985) Mount Etna:
the anatomy of a volcano. Chapman and Hall, London
Coltelli M, Del Carlo P, Vezzoli L (2000) Stratigraphic constrains for
the explosive activity in the last 100 ka at Etna volcano, Italy. Int
J Earth Sci 89:665–677
Corsaro RA, Pompilio M (2004) Dynamics of magmas at Mount Etna.
In: Bonaccorso A, Calvari S, Coltelli M, Del Negro C, Falsaperla
S (ed) Mt Etna Volcano Laboratory. AGU (Geophysical
monograph series) 143, 91–110
De Beni E, Wijbrans JR, Branca S, Coltelli M, Groppelli G (2005)
New results of 40Ar/39Ar dating constrain the timing of transition
from fissure-type to central volcanism at Mount Etna (Italy).
Terra Nova 17(3):292–298
Dunai TJ, Wijbrans JR (2000) Long-term cosmogenic 3He production
rates (152 ka–1.35 Ma) from 40Ar/39Ar dated basalt flows at 29°
N latitude. Earth Planet Sci Lett 176:147–156
Houghton BF, Wilson CJN (1989) A vesicularity index for pyroclastic
deposits. Bull Volcanol 51:451–462
Koppers AAP (2002) ArArCALC-software for 40Ar/39Ar age calculations.
Computers and Geosciences 28:605–619
Jarosewich E, Nelen JA, Norberg JA (1980) Reference samples for
electron microprobe analysis. Geostand Newsl 4(1):43–47
Le Maitre RW (ed.) (1989) A classification of igneous rocks and
glossary of terms. Blackwell Scient Publ, Oxford
Lentini F (1982) The geology of the Mt. Etna basement. Mem Soc
Geol Ital 23:7–25
Lentini F, Carbone S, Guarnieri P (2006) Collisional and postcollisional
tectonics of the Apenninic-Maghrebian orogen (southern
Italy). In Dilek Y and Pavlides S (eds) Postcollisional tectonics
and magmatism in the Mediterranean region and Asia. GSA
Special Paper 409, pp 57–81
McGuire WJ, Pullen AD (1989) Location and orientation of eruptive
fissures and feeder-dykes at Mount Etna: influence of gravitational
and regional tectonic stress regimes. J Volcanol Geotherm
Res 38:352–344
Rowland SK, Walker GPL (1987) Toothpaste lava: characteristics and
origin of a lava structural type transitional between pahoehoe and
aa. Bull Volcanol 49:631–641
Romano R (1982) Succession of the volcanic activity in the Etnean
area. Mem Soc Geol Ital 23:27–48
Romano R, Lentini F, Sturiale C et alii (1979) Carta Geologica del
Monte Etna Scala 1:50.000. In: Mem Soc Geol It 23
Salvador A (1987) Uncorformity-bounded stratigraphic units. Geol
Soc Am Bull 98:232–237
Salvador A (1994) International stratigraphic guide, GSA Salvador A
(ed), Boulder, 1–214
Scollo S, Del Carlo P, Coltelli M (2007) Tephra fallout of 2001 Etna
flank eruption: analysis of the deposit and plume dispersion. J
Volcanol Geotherm Res 160:147–164
Sturiale C (1967) Le vulcaniti rinvenute in un pozzo trivellato presso
Bronte (Etna). Atti Accad Gioenia Sci Nat XIX:93–109
Schneider BSH, Kuiper KF, Postma O, Wijbrans JR (2007) A furnace
extraction system for 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of young basalts.
EGU General Assembly 2007, EGU2007-A-10055
Taddeucci J, Pompilio M, Scarlato P (2004) Conduit processes during
the July–August 2001 explosive activity of Mt. Etna (Italy):
inferences from glass chemistry and crystal size distribution of
ash particles. J Volcanol Geotherm Res 137:33–54
Tanguy JC, Condomines M, Le Goff M, Chillemi V, La Delfa S,
Patanè G (2007) Mount Etna eruptions of the last 2,750 years:
revised chronology and location through archeomagnetic and
226Ra–230Th dating. Bull Volcanol 70:55–83
Walker GPL (1973) Explosive volcanic eruptions, a new classification
scheme. Geol Rundsch 62:431–446
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