Emanuela De Beni

Active volcanoes are complex, poorly predictable systems that can pose a threat to humans and their infrastructures. As such, it is important to improve as much as possible the understanding of their behavior. The Stromboli volcano, in Italy, is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, and its almost persistent activity is documented since centuries. The persistent background activity is sometimes interrupted by much more energetic, dangerous episodes. The Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (Italy) set up the interdisciplinary “UNO” project, aimed to understand when the Stromboli volcano is about to switch from the ordinary to the extraordinary activity. The UNO project includes an outstanding variety of research activities, such as sampling in the field, the modeling of Stromboli topography from ALS technique and satellite data, the 3D numerical simulations of ballistic trajectories, or the set up of an ultrasonic microphones system. Key to the success of the proj...

ABSTRACT We produced a DEM of the Mt. Etna volcano using TanDEM-X data collected on October 9, 2012. The TanDEM-X data were acquired in bistatic mode with TSX as master sensor and TDX as receive only sensor. The pre-existing SRTM DEM was used for geometrical reference (geocoding, initial height model, large scale reference). The interferogram was computed with 4 looks in range and 4 looks in azimuth. After compensation of the SRTM heights, the differential TanDEM-X interferogram looked overall quite flat but showed local deviations related to noise (e.g. over the sea), topographic effects related to the low resolution of the SRTM DEM, and deviations related to actual changes of the topography, as observed in the Mount Etna peak region. After phase unwrapping, addressed with a minimum-cost flow algorithm and slight spatial filtering, the unwrapped phases were converted to relative heights. In order to move to absolute heights the SRTM height reference was used under the assumption that the deviation from the SRTM DEM is zero at large scale and without any linear trend. Finally, the height model was resampled into geographical coordinates. In the framework of the MED-SUV project, and thanks to the availability of a dense GPS network of more than 100 benchmarks periodically measured by INGV_OE, the TanDEM-X model has been validated. By computing the difference of the elevations provided by TanDEM-X with those measured by GPS we obtained a mean difference of 0.7 m and a standard deviation of 5.2 m. These values are biased by a few GPS benchmarks located in steep areas unfavorable illuminated by the radar. Without considerations of the two more unfavorable GPS stations, the height mean difference and a standard deviation are 0.6 m and 4.3 m respectively. We also performed correlation analyses of the height differences with respect to topography, latitude and longitude and we could exclude any elevation-related errors or geometrical ramp distortions. In the following, we compared the 2012 TanDEM-X model with the 2000 SRTM DEM in order to evaluate the morphological changes occurred on the volcano during the 12 years time lap. The pixel size of SRTM-DEM is about 90 m and we resampled the TanDEM-X model to fit this value. The results show that most of the variations occurred in the Valle del Bove and on the summit crater areas. In order to compare DEMs with the same pixel size, we performed a further comparison with a 5m ground resolution optical DEM, produced in 2004 and covering only the summit area. The variations in topography have been compared with ground mapping surveys, confirming a good correlation with the spatial extension of the lava flows and of the pyroclastic deposits occurred on Mt. Etna in the last seven years. The comparison between the two DEM's (2004-2012) allows calculating the amount of volcanics emitted and to clearly monitoring the growth and development of the New South East Crater (NSEC). TanDEM-X is a useful tools to monitor volcanic area characterized by a quit frequent activity (a paroxysm every 5-10 days), such us Mt. Etna, especially if concentrated in areas not easily accessible.

Il GeoDatabase dell'Osservatorio Etneo nasce come estensione spaziale del Database di Sezione, sistema attualmente impiegato per l'archiviazione dei segnali e delle serie temporali [Cassisi et al., 2015]. Esso è costituito principalmente da un insieme di strumenti volti all'archiviazione ed alla divulgazione di dati spaziali georiferiti, mediante l'impiego di tecnologie open source. Strutturalmente il sistema è basato su: • Un Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) PostgreSQL [PostgreSQL ref.] con estensione PostGIS [PostGIS ref.] per l'archiviazione di dati georiferiti; • Geoserver [Geoserver ref.] impiegato come server di mappe per l'esportazione di servizi quali Web Map Service (WMS), Web Features Service (WFS) e Web Coverage Access (WCS); • GeoNetwork [GeoNetwork ref.], uno strumento di catalogazione per la creazione del metadato e la pubblicazione del catalogo delle mappe; • Geoexplorer [Geoexplorer ref.], una web application per la navigazione de...

In July and August 2019, two paroxysmal eruptions dramatically changed the morphology of the crater terrace that hosts the active vents of Stromboli volcano (Italy). Here, we document these morphological changes, by using 2259 UAS-derived photographs from eight surveys and Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetric techniques, resulting in 3D point clouds, orthomosaics, and digital surface models (DSMs) with resolution ranging from 8.1 to 12.4 cm/pixel. We focus on the morphological evolution of volcanic features and volume changes in the crater terrace and the upper part of the underlying slope (Sciara del Fuoco). We identify both crater terrace and lava field variations, with vents shifting up to 47 m and the accumulation of tephra deposits. The maximum elevation changes related to the two paroxysmal eruptions (in between May and September 2019) range from +41.4 to −26.4 m at the lava field and N crater area, respectively. Throughout September 2018–June 2020, the total volume cha...

We provide a database of the surface ruptures produced by the 26 December 2018 Mw 4.9 earthquake that struck the eastern flank of Mt. Etna volcano in Sicily (southern Italy). Despite its relatively small magnitude, this shallow earthquake caused about 8 km of surface faulting, along the trace of the NNW-trending active Fiandaca Fault. Detailed field surveys have been performed in the epicentral area to map the ruptures and to characterize their kinematics. The surface ruptures show a dominant right-oblique sense of displacement with an average slip of about 0.09 m and a maximum value of 0.35 m. We have parsed and organized all observations in a concise database, with 932 homogeneous georeferenced records. The Fiandaca Fault is part of the complex active Timpe faults system affecting the eastern flank of Etna, and its seismic history indicates a prominent surface-faulting potential. Therefore, this database is essential for unravelling the seismotectonics of shallow earthquakes in vo...

On November 16th 2006 a sector collapse affected the unstable eastern flank of the South-East Crater (SEC) on Mount Etna Volcano. The SEC is located on the Etna volcano summit and is an active steep cone formed by alternated scoria deposits and lava flows traversed by numerous fractures. The collapse occurred during an eruptive event and was probably triggered by effusive and explosive activity on the SEC. The resulting debris avalanche involved both altered and fresh materials, including an active lava flow. The collapse produced a debris avalanche deposit emplaced on the eastern flank of the volcano, extending up to 1.1 km from the source. The deposit is formed by superimposed flow units, suggesting that it is the result of at least two discrete events, the total volume is estimated in the order of 300,000-500,000 m3. A block-facies and a matrix-facies were recognized in the field. The former is composed by blocks up to 1 meters in dimension and has maximum thickness of 4-5 meters...

During the years 2013-2014, the New Southeast Crater (NSEC) at the summit of Mount Etna produced frequent episodes of lava fountaining (paroxysms), and its cone continued to grow at unprecedented rates. Many of the episodes were of rather brief duration and violently explosive, producing mostly pyroclastic material and minor volumes of lava. Other episodes, especially those since mid-December 2013, were characterized by violent Strombolian activity without producing sustained lava fountains and significant amounts of tephra, but emitting more voluminous lava flows. One episode of intense Strombolian and effusive activity that was possibly fed from the NSEC conduit occurred from vents located approximately 1 km north of the crater, on the east flank of the Northeast Crater, in July-August 2014. The evolution of the NSEC cone between 2012 and 2014 was documented by repeated GPS surveys carried out both from a distance and on the cone itself, by the acquisition of comparison photographs, and by two aerophotogrammetric surveys. From these surveys the highest point of the NSEC results to have grown from 190 m (May 2012) to ̴ 215 m (October 2014) above the pre-cone surface reaching an elevation of 3290 m, and its volume more than doubled to ̴ 50.0 ± 6.5 × 10 6 m 3 , representing the 40% of the total (bulk) volume of the volcanic products including pyroclastic fallout erupted in 2011-2014, which is 147.2 × 10 6 m 3 (101.3 × 10 6 m 3 dense-rock equivalent). The whole of the 2011-2014 NSEC activity marks an unusually high frequency of rather explosive, tephra-rich eruptive episodes compared to Etna's activity in past decades and centuries , although the average magma production rate in this interval is close to the supposed long-term output rate of the volcano. The latest eruptive episodes show a tendency of the NSEC coalescing with the old Southeast Crater cone, which therefore represents a miniature example of a growing compound volcano at the summit of Etna.

Volcanic hazards associated with lava flows advancing on a snow cover are often underrated. On 16 March 2017, during a mild effusive-explosive eruption at Mt Etna (Italy) a slowly advancing lava lobe interacted with the snow cover producing a sudden, short-lasting sequence of explosions. White vapor, brown ash and coarse material were suddenly ejected, and the products hit a group of people, injuring some of them. The proximal deposit formed a continuous mantle of ash, lapilli and decimetric-sized bombs, and the ballistic material reached up to 200 meters away from the lava edge. A total deposit mass of 7.1 ± 0.8 × 104 kg was estimated, corresponding to a lava volume removed by the explosion of 32.0 ± 3.6 m3. Textural and morphological data on the ejected clasts were used to constrain a model of lava-snow interaction. Results suggest that the mechanism responsible for the explosions was the progressive pressure build-up due to vapor accumulation under the lava flow, while no evidenc...

Understanding the dynamics of mild explosive activity is a fundamental tool for hazard assessment at open conduit volcanoes. This is a particularly critical task for Etna volcano. Etna is in fact characterized by frequent, mild explosive activity, punctuated by lava flows and paroxysmal events (‘lava fountains’), which, because of their greater impact, have been the main target for hazard studies, whereas more frequent Strombolian activity has been overlooked. As a result, their impact and associated hazards have been never quantified, despite the extensive monitoring and surveillance activities carried out on this volcano. In this paper, we analyze video recordings of a sequence of Strombolian explosions occurring at the summit craters of Mt. Etna, in Italy, in February 2020. Data were also integrated with a petrographic analysis of collected samples, and drone surveys were performed at the same time as the video recordings. We estimate the frequency of explosions (20–12 per min); ...

The 1928 CE volcanic activity on eastern Etna, Italy, produced wide surface deformation and high effusion rates along fissures, with excess volumes of about 50 million m 3 of lavas. This, in conjunction with the low elevation of the main eruptive vents (1150 m a.s.l.), caused the destruction of the Mascali town. Our research focuses on a multidisciplinary study from field observations and Finite Element Method modelling through COMSOL Multi-physics®, with the aim of reconstructing the geometry, kinematics and origin of the system of faults and fissures formed during the 1928 event. We collected quantitative measurements from 438 sites of azimuth values, opening direction and aperture amount of dry fissures, and attitude and vertical offsets of faults. From west to east, four volcanotectonic settings have been identified, related to dike propagation in the same direction: 1) a sequence of 8 eruptive vents, surrounded by a 385-m wide graben, 2) a 2.5-km long single eruptive fissure, 3) a half-graben as wide as 74 m and a symmetric, 39-m-wide graben without evidence of eruption, 4) alignment of lower vents along the pre-existing Ripe della Naca faults. Field data, along with historical aerial photos, became inputs to FEM numerical models. The latter allowed us to investigate the connection between diking and surface deformation during the 1928 event, subject to a range of overpressure values (1-20 MPa), host rock properties (1-30 GPa) and geometrical complexity (stratigraphic sequence, layer thickness). In addition, we studied the distribution of tensile and shear stresses above the dike tip and gained insights into dike-induced graben scenarios. Our multidisciplinary study reports that soft (e.g. tuff) layers can act as temporary stress barriers and control the surface deformation scenarios (dike-induced graben, single fracture or eruptive fissures) above a propagating dike by suppressing the distribution of shear stresses towards the surface.

<p>Etna volcano has four summit craters that are characterized by periodic strombolian and lava fountaining episodes, often associated with lava flows. In the last years, the most active was the South East Crater that on 2021 produced more than fifty paroxysms that gave rise to lava flows rapidly propagating towards East, South, and South-West. Etna summit area is visited by thousands of tourists, especially in the summertime, thus it is important to evaluate the hazard related to lava flow emplacement. For this reason, we were urged to timely map the lava flows emplaced during each paroxysm whose frequency was as high as two events in 24 hours. This task has been accomplished through the integration of different remote sensing techniques, based on data availability and weather conditions. Several satellite images (Sentinel-2 MSI, Aster, Ecostress, Skysat, Landsat-8 OLI and TIRS) allowed us to map the lava flow field at spatial resolutions from 0.7 to 90 meters. Unoccupied Aerial System (UAS) surveys also allowed to acquire visible and thermal images, with high-spatial resolution, of the lava flows. Finally, thermal images acquired from the permanent network of cameras, managed by the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, were re-projected into the topography at 5-meter spatial resolution. The various remote sensing data enable the mapping of the lava flows and compiling a geodatabase that registers the main geometrical parameters (e.g. length, area, average thickness). The joint exploitation of remote-sensing data acquired through multi-sensors enabled, for the first time on Etna, to timely and accurately characterize frequently occurred effusive events.</p>

In this body of work, we showcase a historic virtual geotrail on the eastern flank of the iconic Mt. Etna volcano (Italy), along a series of outstanding geological sites and features subsequent to an important eruption that took place in 1928. A geohistoric account of such a major eruption, is of great interest, since it is the only event since 1669 to have caused the destruction of a town (Mascali) in the Etna region. Volcanologists, educators, the lay public, tourists and volcano explorers can now access a series of “virtual geostops” belonging to this virtual geotrail, such that “visitors” can virtually fly above these sites by scanning a QR code on the printed or electronic version of the present manuscript, as well as on the poster provided as additional material for this manuscript. The virtual geostops that comprise the virtual geotrail were developed using the structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry technique from images captured by using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). ...

The structure of an active volcano is highly dependent on the interplay between the geodynamic context, the tectonic assessment as well as the magmatic processes in the plumbing system. This complex scenario, widely explored at Etna during the last 40 years, is nevertheless incomplete for the recent historical activity. In 1763 two eruptions occurred along the west flank of the volcano. There, an eruption started on 6th February and formed the scoria cone of Mt. Nuovo and a roughly 4-km-long lava flow field. Another small scoria cone, known as Mt. Mezza Luna, is not dated in historical sources. It is located just 1 km eastward of Mt. Nuovo and produced a 700 m long flow field. We focused on the activity of Mts. Nuovo and Mezza Luna for several reasons. First, the old geological maps and volcanological catalogues indicate that Mt. Mezza Luna and Mt. Nuovo cones were formed during the same eruption, while historical sources described Mt. Nuovo’s activity as producing a single scoria c...

Morphological changes of the summit craters of active volcanoes are of pivotal interest in volcano monitoring because they could be the consequences of volcanic activities and represent the prelude of dangerous events. Several methodologies have been used during the years in the volcanological monitoring, starting from ground measurements and remote sensing techniques such as aerial observation and satellite data analysis. However, in the last decade UAVs have emerged in monitoring active volcanoes. In fact, they represent tools of indisputable value due to their relatively low cost, speed in mission planning, repeatability of surveys for data acquisition and increased operator safety. During the last 4 Years we performed 15 UAVs surveys and 3 from helicopter to monitor the four summit craters of ETNA. The acquired data have been processed through structure-from-motion photogrammetric software to extract DEMs and orthomosaics with resolution ranging between 5 and 20 cm. A multi-temp...

ABSTRACT Since the 1970's, about 50 radio-isotopic ages have been determined on Etna volcanics using different techniques: Th-U and K/Ar. Unfortunately, these ages cannot be readily used to constrain the new stratigraphic setting of the volcano, because of the uncertainty in sample locations or, sometimes, the large errors affecting the calculated ages. For this reason a program of radio-isotopic dating applying the Ar-40/Ar-39 incremental heating technique to date the groundmass of basaltic samples has been carried out from 2002. Forty samples (22 of which are of new publication) were collected from key outcrops on Etna volcano, selected on the basis of their stratigraphic position, while one sample was collected from the Hyblean plateau volcanics. We have obtained reliable results from all volcanics analysed from 542 ka up to 10 ka with the MSWD's (Mean Square of Weighted Deviates) ranging from 0.03 up to 1.7 excluding IS sample (MSWD = 6.28). These new results allow us to: i) assign an age to 19 of the 25 lithostratigraphic units defined in the new geological map of Etna volcano; ii) clarify the uncertain stratigraphic position of isolated volcanic units; iii) constraint the temporal hiatus that matches the main unconformities; iv) outline the lapse of time between the end of the Hyblean volcanism and the beginning of eruptive activity in the Etna region.

... 2 Jan Wijbrans1, Bj rn Schneider1, Klaudia Kuiper1, Sonia Calvari2, Stefano Branca2, Emanuela De 3 Beni2, Gianluca Norini3 , Rosa Anna Corsaro2 & Lucia ... The San Bartolo unit represents the most recent volcanic products of the study area, dated at ~4-2 89 ka by Arrighi et al ...

ABSTRACT The 1669 AD flank eruption was the most destructive event on Etna volcano in historical times (∼700 BC) and provided, because of the presence of numerous quarries and subsurface data, the opportunity for a unique case study in which we directly measured the thickness of the lava field. Moreover, analysis of historical documents allowed reconstruction of the temporal evolution of the lava field and estimation of the average effusion rate. One hundred and thirty-eight thickness measurements, acquired from field surveys and subsurface data, allowed us to divide the lava field into 12 zones of homogenous mean thickness and to calculate a total lava volume of (607 ± 105) × 106 m3, corresponding to an average effusion rate of 58 ± 10 m3/s. This new volume differs by −24 % up to +64 %, from previously published values. The temporal evolution of the cumulative volume and average effusion rate were reconstructed for the first fourteen days, from field data and analysis of historical records. A short initial phase was characterized by a rapid increase in effusion rate, which reached a peak of ∼640 m3/s after 3 days. This was followed by a longer phase in which the flow rate decreased. The first 14 days were crucial for the development of the lava field, and in this time it covered 72 % of its final area and produced most of the damage. Thereafter, the growth of a complex lava tube network promoted lava field lengthening to the city of Catania, 17 km away from the vent. Effusion rate trends like those of the 1669 eruption can be adopted for future investigations aimed at assessing the effects of similar events on Etna’s most highly urbanized area and at other effusive basaltic volcanoes.