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Pyroclastic density currents resulting from the interaction of basaltic magma with hydrothermally altered rock: an example from the 2006 summit eruptions of Mount Etna, Italy

Bulletin of Volcanology volume 70, pages 1249–1268 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

After 16 months of quiescence, Mount Etna began to erupt again in mid-July 2006. The activity was concentrated at and around the Southeast Crater (SEC), one of the four craters on the summit of Etna, and eruptive activity continued intermittently for 5 months. During this period, numerous vents displayed a wide range of eruptive styles at different times. Virtually all explosive activities took place at vents at the summit of the SEC and on its flanks. Eruptive episodes, which lasted from 1 day to 2 weeks, became shorter and more violent with time. Volcanic activity at these vents was often accompanied by dramatic mass-wasting processes such as collapse of parts of the cone, highly unusual flowage processes involving both old rocks and fresh magmatic material, and magma–water interaction. The most dramatic events took place on 16 November, when numerous rockfalls and pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) were generated during the opening of a large fracture on the SE flank of the SEC cone. The largest PDCs were clearly triggered explosively, and there is evidence that much of the energy was generated during the interaction of intruding magma with wet rocks on the cone’s flanks. The most mobile PDCs traveled up to 1 km from their source. This previously unknown process on Etna may not be unique on this volcano and is likely to have taken place on other volcanoes. It represents a newly recognized hazard to those who visit and work in the vicinity of the summit of Etna.

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Acknowledgements

A part of this research was funded by the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) and by the Dipartimento per la Protezione Civile (Italy). We thank our colleagues at the INGV-CT, in particular Mike Burton and Giuseppe Salerno who provided the observations, photographs, and video footage of different phases of the events described in this paper; Giovanni Tomarchio of the Italian RAI television network, for letting us view his original video footage of the 16 November 2006 activity and pyroclastic density currents; Simone Genovese for providing still photographs and video footage of the same events; Nino Mazzaglia for sharing his unique and impressive photographic collection of the 2006 summit eruptions; Jane Applegarth for her photographs of the 16 November activity; and the helicopter pilots of the National Civil Defense Agency for flying us safely over the volcano during many crucial stages of the 2006 activity. Ken Wohletz is acknowledged for the very helpful thoughts and comments on an early version of the manuscript. The very inspiring and stimulating reviews by Greg Valentine and James White helped to bring out more strongly the essence of this paper.

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  1. Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Catania, Piazza Roma 2, 95123, Catania, Italy

    B. Behncke, S. Calvari, S. Giammanco & M. Neri

  2. Department of Environmental Science, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK

    H. Pinkerton

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  1. B. Behncke
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  3. S. Giammanco
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Correspondence to B. Behncke.

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Behncke, B., Calvari, S., Giammanco, S. et al. Pyroclastic density currents resulting from the interaction of basaltic magma with hydrothermally altered rock: an example from the 2006 summit eruptions of Mount Etna, Italy. Bull Volcanol 70, 1249–1268 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-008-0200-7

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Keywords

  • Mount Etna
  • Pyroclastic density currents
  • Lava–water interaction
  • Hydrothermal alteration
  • Hazards
  • Volcano instability
  • 2006 eruption