Volcanology of the Southwestern sector of Vesuvius volcano, Italy

Abstract

Here we present a new volcanological map of the Southwestern portion of the Vesuvius volcano at a scale of 1:10,000. Mapped units were subdivided into Unconformity-Bounded Stratigraphic Units. This work constitutes a significant development with respect to previous maps, particularly for the medieval lavas. It also includes a series of volcanic–tectonic lineaments, which have never been reported in any of the previous cartographic works. Archeological and historical data were used for mapping the lava emitted during the last 2000 years. All the historical lava flow paths and tephra deposits of the last 4000 years that were reported on the map and evidence the intimate relationship between volcanological and morphological features, and the development of human activity on this very densely populated sector of the volcano