Relationship between the flank sliding of the South East Crater (Mt. Etna, Italy) and the paroxysmal event of November 16, 2006 |
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Authors: | Carmelo Ferlito Marco Viccaro Eugenio Nicotra Renato Cristofolini |
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Institution: | 1. Dipartimento di Scienze Geologiche, Università di Catania, Corso Italia 57, 95129, Catania, Italy
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Abstract: | Over the last 2 years, the south east crater (SEC) at Mt. Etna (Italy) has been characterised by the intermittent emission
of lava flows, often accompanied by paroxysmal episodes with violent strombolian activity and/or lava fountains. One of the
most intense and intriguing episodes occurred on November 16, 2006 during strombolian and effusive activity from the very
top of the SEC. At the eastern base of the crater, a violent and short-lasting outburst generated a 300-m-high eruptive curtain
of finely fragmented magma and steam, which collapsed in a few seconds giving rise to a small but significant pyroclastic
flow. The paroxysm was preceded by progressive sliding of the eastern flank of the SEC edifice, which led to the formation
of a large niche. Previously published models explain the outburst as due to rapid vaporisation of water contained in sediments
on contact with hot lava flowing along the flank of the SEC or, alternatively, to gravitational collapse of a destabilised
portion of the eastern flank of the crater. However, several lines of evidence suggest that these models do not adequately
explain the paroxysm, which we propose was associated with the explosive emission of magma during the rapid opening of an
ESE-WNW-oriented fracture at the eastern base of the SEC. Moreover, geochemical data of the products associated with this
episode show that they are the most primitive and gas-rich among those erupted during the entire 2006 period. We suggest that
the paroxysm of November 16, 2006, which occurred at base of the SEC, was a magma outburst due to rapid ground fracturing
related to a drop in confining pressure upon the underlying dyke consequent to the sliding of the eastern flank of the SEC
cone. Specifically, the unloaded shallow portion of the feeding dyke did not restrain the arrival of a new batch of gas-rich
magma, which worked its way out by fracturing the base of the niche at its weakest point. This paroxysm appears significant
because it reveals the potential development of syn-eruptive dynamics acting directly on the uppermost portion of the plumbing
system which is able to generate pyroclastic flows even on basaltic volcanoes such as Mount Etna. |
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