Evidence of a partial melt zone beneath Stromboli volcano (Italy) from inversion of teleseismic receiver functions

Teleseismic body waves from broadband seismic stations are used to investigate the crustal and uppermost mantle structure of Stromboli volcano through inversion of the receiver functions (RFs). First, we computed RFs in the frequency domain using a multiple-taper spectral correlation technique. Then, the nonlinear neighbourhood algorithm was applied to estimate the seismic shear wave velocity of the crust and uppermost mantle and to define the main seismic velocity discontinuities. The stability of the inversion solution was tested using a range of initial random seeds and model parameterizations. A shallow Moho, present at depth of 14.8 km, is evidence of a thinned crust beneath Stromboli volcano. However, the most intriguing and innovative result is a low S velocity layer in the uppermost mantle, below 32 km. The low S velocity layer suggests a possible partial melt region associated with the volcanism, as also recently supported by tomographic studies and petrological estimations.

Ammon, C.J., 1991. The isolation of receiver effects from teleseismic P waveforms, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 81, 2504-2510.
Anderson, D.L., 1989. Theory of Earth, Blackwell Scientific Publications, Boston, pp. 366.
Bannister, S., Bryan, C.J. and Bibby, H.M., 2004. Shear wave velocity variation across the Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zeeland, from receiver function inversion, Geophys. J. Int., 159, 291-310.
Bassi, G., Sabadini, R. and Rebai, S., 1997. Modern tectonic regime in the Tyrrhenian area: observations and models, Geophysical Journal International, 129, 330-346.
Bonaccorso, A., Calvari, S., Garfì, G. et al., 2003. Dynamics of the December 2002 fl ank failure and tsunami at Stromboli volcano inferred by volcanological and geophysical observations, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30, 1941, doi:10.1029/2003GL017702.
Bonaccorso, A., Bonforte, A., Gambino, S. et al., 2009. Insight on recent Stromboli eruption inferred from terrestrial and satellite ground deformation measurements, Journ. Volc. Geoth. Res., 182, 172-181.
Bottinga,V. and Steinmetz, L., 1979. A geophysical, geochemical, petrological model of the sub-marine lithosphere, Tectonophysics, 55, 311-347.
Calvari, S., Spampinato, L. and Lodato, L., 2006. The 5 April 2003 vulcanian paroxysmal explosion at Stromboli volcano (Italy) from field observations and thermal data, Journ. Volc. Geoth. Res., 149, 160-175.
Cassidy, J.F., 1992. Numerical experiments in broadband receiver function analysis, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am., 82, 1453-1474.
Castellano, M., Augusti, V., De Cesare, W. et al., 2008. Seismic Tomography Experiment at Italy’s Stromboli Volcano, Eos Trans. AGU, 89(30), doi:10.1029/2008EO300001.
Chiarabba, C., De Gori, P. and Speranza, F., 2008. The southern Tyrrhenian subduction zone: Deep geometry, magmatism and Plio-Pleistocene evolution, Earth Planetary Science Letters, 268, 408-423.
Di Stefano, R., Chiarabba, C., Lucente, F. and Amato, A., 1999. Crustal and uppermost mantle structure in Italy from the inversion of P-wave arrival times: geodynamic implications, Geophysical Journal International, 139, 483-498.
Dugda, M.T., Nyblade, A.A., Julià, J. et al., 2005. Crustal structure in Ethiopia and Kenya from receiver function analysis: Implications for rift development in eastern Africa, J. Geophys. Res., 110, B01303, doi:10.1029/2004JB003065.
Faccenna, C., Funiciello, F., Giardini, D. and Lucente, P., 2001. Episodic back-arc extension during restricted mantle convection in the Central Mediterranean, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 187, 105-116.
Faccenna, C., Funiciello, C., Civetta, L. et al., 2007. Slab disruption, mantle circulation, and the opening of the Tyrrhenian basins. In: Beccaluva, L., Bianchini, G. and Wilson, M. (eds) Cenozoic Volcanism in the Mediterranean Area, Geological Society of America, Special Papers, 418, 153-169.
Francalanci, L., Tommasini, S., Conticelli, S. et al., 1999. Sr isotope evidence for short magma residence time for the 20th century activity at Stromboli volcano, Italy, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 167, 61-69.
Francalanci, L., Tommasini, S. and Conticelli, S., 2004. The volcanic activity of Stromboli in the 1906–1998 period: mineralogical, geochemical and isotope data relevant to the understanding of Strombolian activity, J. Volcanol Geotherm. Res., 131, 179-211.
Gvirtzman, Z. and Nur, A., 2001. Residual topography, lithospheric structure and sunken slabs in the central Mediterranean, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 187, 117-130.
Jiménez-Munt, I., Saladini, R., Gardi, A. et al., 2003. Active deformation in the Mediterranean from Gibraltar to Anatolia inferred from numerical modeling and geodetic and seismological data, J. Geophys. Res., 108, 2006, doi:10.1029/2001JB001544.
Laiolo, M. and Cigolini, C., 2006. Mafic and ultramafic xenoliths in San Bartolo lava field: new insights on the ascent and storage of Strombolian magmas, Bull. Volcanol., 68, 653-670, doi:10.1007/s00445-005-0040-7.
Landi P, Metrich, N., Bertagnini, A. et al., 2004. Dynamics of magma mixing and degassing recorded in plagioclase at Stromboli (Aeolian Archipelago, Italy), Contrib. Mineral. Petrol., 147, 213-227.
Langston, C.A., 1977. The effect of planar dipping structure on source and receiver responses for constant ray parameter, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am., 67, 1029-1050.
Levin, V. and Park, J., 1998. P-SH Conversions in layered media with hexagonally symmetric anisotropy: a cookbook, Pure appl. Geophys., 151, 669-697.
Mattia M., Aloisi, M., Di Grazia, G. et al., 2008. Geophysical investigations of the plumbing system of Stromboli volcano (Aeolian Islands, Italy), J. Volcanol Geotherm. Res., 176, 529-540, doi:10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2008.04.022.
Meletti, C., Patacca, E. and Scandone, P., 2000. Construction of a seismotectonic model: the case of Italy, Pure and Applied Geophysics, 157, 11-35.
Montuori,C., Cimini,G.B., Favali P., 2007. Teleseismic tomography of the southern Tyrrhenian subduction zone: New results from seafloor and land recordings, J. Geophys. Res., 112, B03311, doi:10.1029/2005JB004114,
Owens, T.J. and Crosson, R.S., 1988. Shallow structure effects on broadband teleseismic P-waveforms, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 78, 96–108.
Panza, G. F., Pontevivo, A., Chimera, G. et al., 2003. The lithosphere-asthenosphere: Italy and surroundings, Episodes, 26, 169-174.
Panza, G.F., Peccerillo, A., Aoudia, A. et al., 2007. Geophysical and petrological modelling of the structure and composition of the crust and upper mantle in complex geodynamic settings: The Tyrrhenian Sea and surroundings, Earth-Science Reviews, 80, 1-46.
Park, J. and Levin, V., 2000. Receiver functions from multiple-taper spectral correlation estimates, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 90, 1507-1520.
Patanè, D., Mattia, M., Di Grazia, G. et al., 2007. Insights into the dynamic processes of the 2007 Stromboli eruption and possible meteorological influences on the magmatic system, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L22309, doi:10.1029/2007GL031730.
Pontevivo, A. and Panza, G.F., 2006. The lithosphere-asthenosphere system in the Calabrian Arc and surrounding seas-Southern Italy, Pure and Applied Geophysics, 163, 1617-1659.
Petrosino, S., Cusano, P., Saccorotti, G. et al., 2002. Seismic Attenuation and shallow velocity models at Stromboli Volcano, Italy, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am., 92, 1102-1116.
Sambridge, M., 1999. Geophysical Inversion with a Neighbourhood Algorithm -I Searching a parameter space, Geophys. J. Int., 138, 479-494.
Sambridge, M., 2001. Finding acceptable models in nonlinear inverse problems using a neighbourhood algorithm, Inverse Problems, 17, 387-403.
Vinnik, L.P., Reigber, C., Aleshin, I.M. et al., 2004. Receiver function tomography of the central Tien Shan, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 255, 131-146.
Voronoi, M.G., 1908. Nouvelles applications des parametres continus a la theorie des formes quadratiques, J. Reine Angew. Math., 134, 198-287.
Wortel, M.J.R., Spackman, W., 2000. Subduction and slab detachment in the Mediterranean-Carpathian region, Science, 290, 1910–1917.