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Three dimensional magnetotelluric modelling of Vulcano Island (Eolie, Italy) and its implications for understanding recent volcanic unrest
  • Maria Giulia Di Giuseppe,
  • Roberto Isaia,
  • Antonio Troiano
Maria Giulia Di Giuseppe
INGV
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Roberto Isaia
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, sezione di Napoli Osservatorio Vesuviano

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Antonio Troiano
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia - Osservatorio Vesuviano
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Abstract

Resistivity imaging obtained by a short period magnetotelluric survey identified the electrical resistivity patterns below Vulcano Island to a depth of 2 km below sea level. In the 3D resistivity model, clear contrasts generally characterized the caldera faults, whereas volcanic edifices, craters, volcanic conduits, and/or eruptive fissures corresponded to superficially high resistivity anomalies. Among the most prominent detected structures, a resistive anomaly located below La Fossa crater, which extends 2 km below the surface, likely represents a “conduit” structure, along which magmatic fluids preferably ascend. Other resistivity anomalies, mainly aligned in the N‒S direction, characterized the island sector where considerable amounts of deep subsurface fluids accumulate and mix with the ascending magmas related to the most recent volcanic dynamics. The interpretation of the main features reconstructed through the magnetotelluric investigation significantly contributes to understanding the current unrest at Vulcano.