An unprecedented study carried out jointly by researchers from INGV and CNR reveals important details on the volcanic activity of the island of Vulcano, with important implications for the assessment of the safety of the area. The island of Vulcano – and specifically the crater “la Fossa”, i.e. the currently active volcanic apparatus – returned to the center of attention in September 2021, when signs of reactivation were recorded.
The details of the investigation, defined as “pioneering” by the researchers themselves, were published in an article on Geophysical Research Letters. At the center of the study is “the understanding of volcanic reactivation and the estimate of the associated danger”.
“The Island of Vulcano, home of the imposing ‘La Fossa’, has attracted attention since September 2021, showing signs of volcanic reactivation. Our study (…) explored this dynamic, locating the source, evaluating its characteristics and impact on volcanic danger” explains Federico Di Traglia, researcher at the INGV Vesuvian Observatory and first author of the article.
“Source identified”
“By analyzing InSAR satellite data and seismic signals, we identified the source, positioned 500 meters below the crater area of Vulcano, operating between July and December 2021”, clarified Valentina Bruno, researcher at the INGV Etna Observatory and co -author of the scientific article.
“The analysis – we read on the INGV website – traced the 2021 activity to volcanic manifestations linked to the internal pressure of the hydrothermal system, similar to those of 1970”.
The investigation will not have immediate repercussions on civil protection aspects concerning the safety of the population, but, as the Institute explains, it represents a “potentially useful contribution in the future to refine forecasting and prevention tools”. The work – clarifies Francesco Casu, research director of the Cnr-Irea – focuses on phreatic explosions, limiting current assessments to these scenarios”.
A phreatic eruption, also called “ultravolcanic”, occurs when magma heats underground or surface water. The extreme temperature of the magma (which can vary from 500 to 1,170 °C) causes the water to evaporate almost instantly, transforming it into steam. What results is an explosion of steam, water, ash, rock and “volcanic bombs”.
It happened today: from 10 to 26 January 1886, repeated strong explosions occurred in Vulcano with emissions of ash and coarse incandescent fragments.
About Vulcan: https://t.co/9JFWPRA2Bb
Articles on Vulcan: https://t.co/mGl2WqcXXy pic.twitter.com/onefxvijiC— INGVvulcani (@INGVvulcani) January 10, 2024
“The next steps – explains Casu – will be aimed at studying the elastic properties of the rocks of the La Fossa cone to evaluate the pressure levels necessary for phreatic explosions, opening a new frontier in the understanding and prevention of potential volcanic risks”.