The lake Albano: bathymetry and level changes

Abstract

The Lake Albano is situated in the Colli Albani volcanic district, about 20 km SE from the city centre of Rome. It is 287 m above sea level and is the deepest among the volcanic crater lakes of Italy, being presently 167 m deep. It is 3.5 km long and 2.3 km wide with an area of about 6 km2. The crater has a long history, which starts with the formation of the Albano crater ~70 ka B.P., and shows evidence of human settlements since pre-historical times. Geological evidence indicates that a catastrophic overflow of the lake occurred in 396 B.C.E. due to a rapid increase of the water level. This phenomenon persuaded the Romans to excavate an artificial outlet though the crater wall to control the lake level. The lake is thought to be hazardous for the surroundings human settlements and the city of Rome, high resolution multibeam bathymetry of the of Lake Albano was performed for the Italian Dipartimento della Protezione Civile, in order to evaluate the potential for CO2 storage and eruption from the lake. The shape of the crater floor was mapped in 2-D and 3-D. Here, we show the main submerged morphological features and a brief history of the lake level changes, which still affect this basin today.