Aeromagnetic survey of the Somma-Vesuvius volcanic area

In this paper we present and discuss the results of a geophysical airborne survey carried out in the Somma-Vesuvius
volcanic area, Southern Italy, in 1999. The helicopter-borne survey was aimed at giving new detailed insights
into the distribution of the magnetization of the area and, therefore, into the volcanological characteristics
of the region, enhancing the knowledge given by a previous low resolution survey carried out at a regional scale
by Agip. The new survey was carried out by flying on a surface parallel to the topography of the area, along
flight lines spaced 600 m apart. The obtained total field map is dominated by a large anomaly related to the Mt.
Somma-Vesuvius complex itself and characterized by a roughly elliptical shape. High-frequency anomalies occur
in the edifice and in the area east of it, partly produced by cultural noise due to the densely inhabited area.
The compilation of the maps of the analytic signal and of the horizontal derivative of the field allowed the location
of the lateral boundaries of the magnetic sources of the area and represents a first step toward the interpretation
of the maps in terms of geological structures.