Multidisciplinary study of the “Salinelle" of Paternò mud volcanoes: characteristics of the fluids and possible correlations with Mt. Etna activity

• Monitoring of hydrothermal fluid emissions can provide detailed information about convective upwelling of geothermal fluids and their geochemical characteristics, as a function of tectonic stress or deeper gas input. In particular, at the Salinelle of Mt. Etna Geosite (Paterno' and Belpasso, Eastern Sicily) natural emissions mainly consist of a fluid phase made of salty water, mud, gas and liquid hydrocarbons from an admixture of magmatic and hydrothermal gases. In this framework, our study mainly focused on the thermal and geochemical monitoring of hydrothermal fluids of the most active site, Salinelle dei Cappuccini. N earby hydrothermal vents (Salinelle del Fiume; Salinelle di San Biagio), were also investigated. Analysis of the magnitude and frequency of seismic events all around Mt. Etna were conducted as well. Analysis of daily temperatures showed a constant trend: higher values (> 35 °C) within the first monitoring period, followed by a strong decrease (down to 9 °C), and a new gradual increase over the following months. This trend seems to be linked to magmatic processes occurring at depth below Mt. Etna, and could lead to a modification of the geochemical and thermal characteristics of the fluid issuing at the mud-pools and gas vents of Salinelle. The higher the frequency of seismic events corresponding to higher daily energy released, the higher fluid temperatures observed.Understanding how these fluids blend and what is their relationship with Mt. Etna volcanism can be of great importance in forecasting new eruptive cycles in the case they precede changes in volcanic activity.

Eruptive history of Neapolitan volcanoes: constraints from 40Ar–39Ar dating

The city of Naples can be considered part of the Campi Flegrei volcanic field, and deposits within the urban area record many autochthonous pre- to post-caldera eruptions. Age measurements were carried out using 40Ar–39Ar dating techniques on samples from small monogenetic vents and more widely distributed tephra layers. The 40Ar–39Ar ages on feldspar phenocrysts yielded ages of c. 16 ka and 22 ka for events older than the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff caldera-forming eruption (15 ka), and ages of c. 40 ka, 53 ka and 78 ka for events older than the Campanian Ignimbrite caldera-forming eruption (39 ka). The oldest age obtained is 18 ka older than previous dates for pyroclastic deposits cropping out along the northern rim of Campi Flegrei. The results of this study allow us to divide the Campi Flegrei volcanic history into four main, geochronologically distinct eruptive cycles. A new period, the Paleoflegrei, occurred before 74–78 ka and has been proposed to better discriminate the ancient volcanism in the volcanic field. The eruptive history of Campi Flegrei extends possibly further back than this, but the products of previous eruptions are difficult to date owing to the lack of fresh juvenile clasts. These new geochronological data, together with recently published ages related to young volcanic edifices located in the city of Naples (Nisida volcano, 3.9 ka) testify to persistent activity over a period of at least 80 ka, with an average eruption recurrence interval of ~555 years within and adjacent to this densely populated city.

Volcanic eruptions recorded in an ice core from Collins Ice Cap, King George Island, Antarctica

Careful mineral and structural analyses have revealed the characteristics of volcanic ash in the nine horizons of an 80.2 m ice core from Collins Ice Cap, King George Island, Antarctica.Under the assumption of steady state, the Dansgaard-Johnsen flow model was employed to date the core. The volcanic eruptive sequence established for the South Shetland Islands region since AD 1650 shows seven volcanic eruptive cycles during the past 340 years covered by the ice core. It seems that during the period 1875-1925 there was frequent volcanic activity, with perhaps many eruptions at Deception Island. The years 1650-1800 appear to have been a quiet period, followed by a more turbulent century. The past century is basically a tranquil era except for two turbulent epochs at the beginning of the century and in the 1950s-70s.Many of the volcanic eruptions in the ice-core sequence are found in the previously reported records for this region. The few that are not in the records should be further investigated. The absence of any 1967-70 eruption trace in the core suggests that this period may represent a minimum in volcanic activity.

Geology, geochronology and chemical evolution of the island of Pantelleria

Potassium–argon dating, field relations, geochemical and strontium-isotope compositions are reported for the island of Pantelleria (Strait of Sicily, Italy). These data support the following model for the genesis and evolution through time of the volcanic system: the peralkaline rocks originated from mantle-derived parental magmas; the trachytic magma differentiated in a low pressure magma chamber by crystal–liquid fractionation. This process led to a chemically zoned magma chamber tapped at different levels by successive eruptions. During low-pressure differentiation the 87Sr/86Sr ratios of some of the most evolved Sr-poor rhyolitic magmas increased from 0.703 up to 0.708 by contamination with crustal material.The chemical variation displayed by the products of each of the defined eruptive cycles in the last 50000 years suggests an open system behaviour of the magma chamber which is episodically refilled by more mafic parent magma, differentiated at high rate and episodically erupted.