Abstract
We present the world’s first time series acquired in the summit area of
an active volcano with an absolute atom interferometry gravimeter. The
device was installed ~2.5 km from the active craters of
Mt. Etna volcano and produced a continuous high–quality gravity time
series, despite the unfavorable environmental conditions at the
installation site and the occurrence of phases of high volcanic tremor
during the acquisition interval. Comparison with data from other
gravimeters installed elsewhere on Mt. Etna highlights correlated
anomalies, demonstrating that the quantum device measured gravity
variations driven by bulk mass changes. The latter are reflective of
volcanic processes, involving the dynamics of magma and exsolved gas in
the upper part of Mt. Etna’s plumbing system. Our results confirm the
operational possibilities of quantum gravimetry and open new horizons
for the application of the gravity method in geophysics.