Lake Albano: bathymetry and level changes

Abstract

Lake Albano is situated in the Colli Albani volcanic district, about 20 km SE of the city centre of Rome. It is 287 m above sea level and is the deepest of the volcanic crater lakes of Italy, presently being 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 c. 70 ka BP, and shows evidence of human settlements since pre-historical times. Geological evidence indicates that a catastrophic overflow of the lake occurred in 398 BCE due to a rapid increase in 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 a hazard for the surrounding human settlements and the city of Rome, so high-resolution multibeam bathymetry of Lake Albano was carried out 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 two and three dimensions. Here, we show the main submerged morphological features and a brief history of the changes in lake level, which still affect the basin today.