Volcanic and seismic activity at Stromboli preceding the 2002-03 eruption

Regular surveys with a PM695 FLIR thermal imaging camera from both the ground and from helicopter were conducted on Stromboli from October 2001. These measurements allow us to (i) examine changes in morphology of the summit craters produced by paroxystic explosions and (ii) track the increasing level of magma within the conduits of Stromboli that preceded and led to the 2002/03 effusive eruption. Two geophysical surveys in May and September/October 2002 demonstrated a clear increasing trend in the amplitude of VLP events, consistent with the presence of a higher magma column above the VLP source region. The observed increase in magma level was probably induced by an increase in the pressure of the magma feeding system at Stromboli, controlled by regional tectonic stress. The increased magma level induced strain on the uppermost part of the crater terrace, allowing an increase in soil permeability and therefore CO2 and Radon degassing. Eventually this stress caused the northeast flank of the craters to fracture, allowing lava to flood out at high effusion rates on 28th December. Regular surveys with the thermal imaging camera, combined with geophysical monitoring, are an invaluable addition to the armory of volcanologists attempting to follow the evolution of activity on active volcanoes.