Bulletin of Volcanology

, 75:778 | Cite as

Modeling the spatial distribution of AD 79 pumice fallout and pyroclastic density current and derived deposits of Somma-Vesuvius (Campania, Italy) integrating primary deposition and secondary redistribution

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Abstract

The spatial distributions of primary deposits and related reworked ones from Plinian fallout and from pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) of the AD 79 eruption of Somma-Vesuvius were independently modeled for the Sarno River plain (Campania, Italy). The simulation takes into consideration both primary deposition of the volcanic products and their secondary redistribution by geomorphic processes of erosion, transport, and redeposition. We hypothesize that the pre-eruption topography controlled both the intial volcanic deposition of PDCs and the subsequent processes redistributing material of the pumice fallout and PDC deposits, and thus significantly controlled the thickness of the final volcaniclastic deposits. The methodology applied is based on a reconstructed pre-AD 79 digital elevation model of the Sarno River plain, an extensive tephrostratigraphic dataset from about 1,200 core drillings and a predictive modeling technique. The two models produce contrasting spatial distribution patterns for both the AD 79 deposits from fallout plus their derivates, versus from PDCs and their derivatives. The contrast allows determination of the most important factors controlling the thickness of the AD 79 volcaniclastic deposits. This provides new insights into the process dynamics during and immediately after the AD 79 Plinian eruption including primary deposition, erosion, and redistribution.

Keywords

Somma-Vesuvius AD 79 Pumice fallout deposits Pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) Sarno River plain Predictive modeling Classification and regression trees 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

The present subproject is part of an interdisciplinary research project undertaken by the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) in cooperation with the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (HAW) and the University of Tübingen. Project directors are Florian Seiler (DAI) and Michael Märker (HAW). It is partly funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation).

We would like to thank our local project partners and all their collaborators for their cooperation, particularly the Autorità di Bacino del Sarno, the Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archaeologici di Napoli e Pompei, and the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archaeologici di Salerno, Avellino, Benevento e Caserta. We also thank Giovanni Patricelli, Giovanni Di Maio, and Gaetana Saccone for various technical supports. Finally, special gratitude is owed to Eliza Calder, Lucia Gurioli, and one unknown reviewer for substantially improving the manuscript with constructive comments and suggestions.

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© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.University of Tübingen c/o German Archaeological InstituteBerlinGermany
  2. 2.Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities c/o University of TübingenTübingenGermany
  3. 3.Department of Plant Production, Soil Science and Agro-Forestry (DIPSA)University of FlorenceFlorenceItaly

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