Recent eruption of Mount Etna

Guest, J. E.; Huntingdon, A. T.; Wadge, G.; Brander, James L.; Booth, B.; Carter, S.; Duncan, A. M.

doi:10.1038/250385a0

Cited by 36 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 2 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Volcanic activity at the Bocca Nuova and Voragine summit craters revealed some relationships with the seismo‐volcanic phenomena related to the 1974 flank eruption. Of prime interest are the observed drops of the magma column in the summit vents that coincided with the highest initial preeruptive seismicity (21 January) and then with the earthquake shocks at the end of the eruption on 28 March [ Guest et al , 1974; Bottari et al , 1975]. Moreover, during the first eruptive phase (DFI) quite continuous forceful ash expulsions and muffled explosions with deep (several hundred meters) origin occurred at the Voragine central crater [ Guest et al , 1974; Bottari et al , 1975].…”

Section: The 1974 Flank Eruption and Its Precursorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Paradoxically, despite its singularities little attention has been paid to the 1974 flank eruption since early reports and publications in the mid‐1970s [ Guest et al , 1974; Tazieff , 1974; Working Group for the Surveillance of Etna , 1974; Bottari et al , 1975; Tanguy and Kieffer , 1977; Guerra et al , 1976]. Moreover, in these reports contradictory interpretations were proposed for its origin, some authors favoring its shallow derivation [ Guest et al , 1974; Bottari et al , 1975; Guerra et al , 1976] and others its direct feeding from mantle depths [ Tanguy and Kieffer , 1977]. Therefore, for all these reasons we decided to carry out new investigations of this important event, in order to get improved understanding of its genesis and significance for the recent volcano evolution.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The 1974 flank eruption of Mount Etna: An archetype for deep dike‐fed eruptions at basaltic volcanoes and a milestone in Etna's recent history

et al. 2009

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

[1] The 1974 western flank eruption of Mount Etna produced a rare, nearly aphyric and plagioclase-free trachybasalt that could not be derived from the central volcano conduits and was more alkaline and more radiogenic than all previous historical lavas. New results for the petrochemistry and volatile content of its products, combined with contemporaneous seismic and volcanological observations, allow us to reinterpret the origin and significance of this event. We show that the eruption was most likely triggered by deep tectonic fracturing that allowed a dike-like intrusion to propagate in 9 days from !11 km depth up to the surface, bypassing the central conduits. Relatively fast, closed system decompression of the volatile-rich magma initially led to lava fountaining and the rapid growth of two pyroclastic cones (Mounts De Fiore), followed by Strombolian activity and the extrusion of viscous lava flows when gas-melt separation developed in the upper portion of the feeding fracture. The 1974 trachybasalt geochemistry indicates its derivation by mixing 25% of preexisting K-poor magma (best represented by 1763 La Montagnola eruption's products) and 75% of a new K-rich feeding magma that was gradually invading Mount Etna's plumbing system and became directly extruded during two violent flank eruptions in [2001][2002][2003]. We propose to classify 1974-type so-called ''eccentric'' eruptions on Etna as deep dike-fed (DDF) eruptions, as opposed to more common central conduit-fed flank eruptions, in order to highlight their actual origin rather than their topographic location. We ultimately discuss the possible precursors of such DDF eruptions.

show abstract

Section: The 1974 Flank Eruption and Its Precursorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The 1974 flank eruption of Mount Etna: An archetype for deep dike‐fed eruptions at basaltic volcanoes and a milestone in Etna's recent history

et al. 2009

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…At the SEC, the rise speed dependent model advocated by Parfitt (2004) does not seem to be a plausible mechanism, for reasons already discussed. Furthermore, a more general examination of Etna's eruptions (both summit and flank) shows that vigorous fountaining (or explosive activity) is restricted to some of the summit activity and flank eruptions fed by gas-rich magmas, even when the latter are characterized by low mass eruption rates (such as the 1974 flank eruption; Guest et al 1974;Tanguy and Kieffer 1977). Conversely, some high-rate effusive eruptions at Etna (such as in 1981; Guest et al 1987) lacked high fountains or significant explosive activity.…”

Section: Changes In the Eruptive Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The exceptional activity and growth of the Southeast Crater, Mount Etna (Italy), between 1996 and 2001

et al. 2006

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Between 1971 and, the Southeast Crater was the most productive of the four summit craters of Mount Etna, with activity that can be compared, on a global scale, to the opening phases of the Pu'u 'Ō'ō-Kūpaianaha eruption of Kīlauea volcano, Hawai'i. The period of highest eruptive rate was between 1996 and 2001, when near-continuous activity occurred in five phases. These were characterized by a wide range of eruptive styles and intensities from quiet, non-explosive lava emission to brief, violent lava-fountaining episodes. Much of the cone growth occurred during these fountaining episodes, totaling 105 events. Many showed complex dynamics such as different eruptive styles at multiple vents, and resulted in the growth of minor edifices on the flanks of the Southeast Crater cone. Small pyroclastic flows were produced during some of the eruptive episodes, when oblique tephra jets showered the steep flanks of the cone with hot bombs and scoriae. Fluctuations in the eruptive style and eruption rates were controlled by a complex interplay between changes in the conduit geometry (including the growth of a shallow magma reservoir under the Southeast Crater), magma supply rates, and flank instability. During this period, volume calculations were made with the aid of GIS and image analysis of video footage obtained by a monitoring telecamera. Between 1996 and 2001, the bulk volume of the cone increased by~36×10 6 m 3 , giving a total (1971-2001) volume of~72×10 6 m 3 . At the same time, the cone gained~105 m in height, reaching an elevation of about 3,300 m. The total DRE volume of the 1996-2001 products was~90×10 6 m 3 . This mostly comprised lava flows (72×10 6 m 3 ) erupted at the summit and onto the flanks of the cone. These values indicate that the productivity of the Southeast Crater increased fourfold during 1996-2001 with respect to the previous 25 years, coinciding with a general increase in the eruptive output rates and eruption intensity at Etna. This phase of intense summit activity has been followed, since the summer of 2001, by a period of increased structural instability of the volcano, marked by a series of important flank eruptions.

show abstract

“…Small amounts of magmatic over-pressure provide local vertical strain. The residence time of magma in these dykes is probably variable but estimates of two years (Guest, 1973a;Guest et al, 1974) and 6-12 months (Sanderson, 1982) have been made using evidence from changing fumarole temperatures and gravimetric measurements. Once a flank eruption starts it usually does so over a length of fissure open to the surface, allowing a higher rate of magma rise than for persistent activity through a cylindrical conduit (Wilson and Head, 1981), and rapid extrusion occurs until the rising batch of magma is depleted below a critical level.…”

Section: Proposed Model For the Plumbingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mount Etna: Variations in its internal plumbing

Duncan¹,

Guest

1982

Geophysical Surveys

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. On the basis of historical records of eruptions and the results of recent volcanological, petrological and geophysical investigations, a model for the internal plumbing of Etna is proposed. It is argued that, over about the last 200 years, hawaiite magma has been fed from a deep-seated crustal reservoir at about 20 km depth to be erupted at the surface with no long term high level storage. This is quite a different model for basaltic plumbing from that suggested for Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii. However, the presence on Etna of ignimbrftes, more evolved lavas of mugearite and benmoreite composition, calderas and thick pyroclastic sequences indicates that, at times in the prehistoric past, the style of volcanic activity was different to that of the present. At these times there must have been substantial high level storage of magma in the volcano. It is apparent that the internal plumbing of Etna has varied during the history of the volcano. It is considered that the deep seated crustal reservoir plays an important role in the differentiation of the primitive primary magma.

show abstract

Recent eruption of Mount Etna

Cited by 36 publications

References 2 publications

The 1974 flank eruption of Mount Etna: An archetype for deep dike‐fed eruptions at basaltic volcanoes and a milestone in Etna's recent history

The 1974 flank eruption of Mount Etna: An archetype for deep dike‐fed eruptions at basaltic volcanoes and a milestone in Etna's recent history

The exceptional activity and growth of the Southeast Crater, Mount Etna (Italy), between 1996 and 2001

Mount Etna: Variations in its internal plumbing

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About