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Volcanic geomorphology and tectonics of the Aeolian archipelago (Southern Italy) based on integrated DEM data

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Abstract

The geomorphological and morphometric analysis of the sea floor topography surrounding the Aeolian Islands, South Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy, provides insights into the relationships between the volcanological evolution of the islands and their tectonic features. We constructed geomorphological maps of the submarine portions of the seven large edifices constituting the islands on the basis of a DEM with a 5 m resolution step. These maps include constructional and destructional landforms such as submarine volcanic vents located west of Lipari and north of Alicudi, and hummocky surfaces recognised north of Lipari and Salina. The latter landforms, together with the occurrence of large scars affecting the main edifices on land, suggest that sector collapses affected some islands. Geomorphological data indicate that the location of subaerial and submarine vents is strongly controlled by local tectonic structures striking WNW-ESE (Alicudi-Filicudi sector), NNW-SSE (Salina-Lipari-Vulcano sector) and NE-SW (Panarea-Stromboli sector). The islands can be divided into two groups on the basis of some morphometric parameters: a first group with a pancake-like shape, Dp/D (abrasion platform diameter/basal diameter) higher than 0.40 and H/D (total height/basal diameter) lower than 0.13, and a second group with a conical shape, characterised by Dp/D lower than 0.34 and H/D higher than 0.14. These ratios and other morphometric parameters reflect the different volcanological and structural evolution of the Aeolian Islands. The pancake-like shaped complexes have been created, in addition to their submarine stage, by extrusive and highly explosive activity, whereas the cone-shaped edifices have been characterised by effusive or moderate explosive activity.

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Acknowledgements

Work funded by Istituo Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia and by Universita’ di Pisa. We thank the two BV reviewers for the comments and Chris Kilburn for the editorial handling

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Via della Faggiola 32, 56100, Pisa, Italy

    Massimiliano FavalliM & Maria Teresa Pareschi

  2. Department of Physical Geography, Eötvös University, 1117, Pázmány s. 1/c, Budapest, Hungary

    Dávid Karátson

  3. Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pisa, Via S. Maria 43, 56100, Pisa, Italy

    Roberto Mazzuoli

  4. Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Via di Vigna Murata 605, 00143, Roma, Italy

    Guido Ventura

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  1. Massimiliano FavalliM
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  2. Dávid Karátson
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  3. Roberto Mazzuoli
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  4. Maria Teresa Pareschi
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  5. Guido Ventura
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Correspondence to Guido Ventura.

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Editorial responsibility: C Kilburn

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FavalliM, M., Karátson, D., Mazzuoli, R. et al. Volcanic geomorphology and tectonics of the Aeolian archipelago (Southern Italy) based on integrated DEM data. Bull Volcanol 68, 157–170 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-005-0429-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-005-0429-3

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