MED-SUV project: First results and ongoing activities of WP 5 – Task 5.1. Characterization of the threatening phenomena from space and ground

Abstract

Explosive events, lava-fountains and effusions frequently characterize eruptive activity at Etna. Consequently, the town of Catania and many local municipalities are potentially exposed to ash fallout and lava flows. Besides volcanic hazard, earthquakes and landslides affect this volcanic region as well. The Task 5.1 of the European project "MED-SUV'' (Grant Agreement n°. 308665) deals with the observation of these threatening phenomena from space and ground and their characterization and understanding. The Task encompasses six subtasks, which focus on and analyze the aforementioned hazards in terms of their characteristics, duration and spatial dimension: • Test cases for significant eruptive events have been defined by the subtask 5.1.1. The time span from 2005 to 2011 was chosen for its wealth of eruptive episodes and their well-documented evolution; • The mapping of eruptive products from satellite data will allow us the improvement of the interpretation and modeling of the mechanisms of cone-forming and lava flow emplacement. This topic is developed in the subtask 5.1.2; • Multidisciplinary experiments are planned in the subtask 5.1.3, and will be carried out at the North­ East Crater in July 2014; • Another important deliverable is given by tools of data mining proposed by the subtask 5.1.4. These tools will be available for the analysis of parameters of whatever nature (e.g., geochemical, geophysical), providing they are processed in numerical format; • The subtask 5.1.5 provides a characterization of the volcanic plume and eruptive products, with an integrated analysis of atmospheric, satellite and ground-based measurements, which play an important role in ash-cloud dispersal models; • The sub 5.1.6 focuses on landslide susceptibility analysis and zoning.

The goal will be to highlight the regional distribution of potentially unstable slopes based on a detailed study of the factors responsible for landslides.