Muography of the Volcanic Structure of the Summit of Vesuvius, Italy

Abstract

In the context of recent developments in volcanic muography, we describe an experiment at Vesuvius, the volcano near Naples that destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum (Italy) in 79 AD. This volcano is about 1200\,m high with a typical summit caldera formed by Mount Somma. Vesuvius is among the highest-risk volcanoes in the world due to its highly explosive eruptive style and the high population density of the area where it is located. Volcanoes are generally fragile geological structures, prone to produce partial collapse and large landslides that can affect the style of eruptions. Moreover, the knowledge of the internal structure is fundamental for understanding past eruption activity and for constraining eruption models. For these reasons, studying the internal structure of the ``Gran Cono'' (great cone) of Vesuvius and the physical characteristics of its rock is important and led us to design a muography experiment at Vesuvius. This experiment, which is currently in progress, is based on three scintillator detectors with a surface of 1\,m$^2$ each. These detector features have been implemented to overcome the problems related to the large thickness of rock that form the ``Gran Cono'' of Vesuvius and the effects that can be a source of error in data processing. These aspects represent an open challenge for the muography of large volcanoes, which today constitutes the frontier of research in the field of volcanic muography.