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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 29, NO. 8, 1230, doi:10.1029/2001GL014372, 2002

Monitoring the explosive activity of the July–August 2001 eruption of Mt. Etna (Italy) by ash characterization

Jacopo Taddeucci

Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Rome, Italy


Massimo Pompilio

Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Catania, Italy


Piergiorgio Scarlato

Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Rome, Italy


Abstract

During the summer 2001 eruption of Mt. Etna, Italy, we developed a method for monitoring explosive activity through the study of airborne ash. The method is based on two routine and fast techniques for ash characterization: i) component analysis, that quantifies the proportion of juvenile particles, crystals, and non-juvenile lithics in the ash; ii) Scanning Electron Microscope semi-quantitative description of the morphology of ash particles. With these techniques we daily analyzed airborne ash from the eruption plume. Temporal evolution of particle shape and vesicularity, and of component proportion in the ash, documented initial crater excavation by hydromagmatic explosions, strong magmatic activity due to volatile exsolution, and final fragmentation of a cooling top of magma column. Favorable conditions of the studied eruption allowed validation of these results by comparison with other monitoring techniques. We also evaluate the applicability of the method to other cases, as well as its limits.

Published 25 April 2002.

Index Terms: 8414 Volcanology: Eruption mechanisms; 8494 Volcanology: Instruments and techniques; 8419 Volcanology: Eruption monitoring (7280); 8404 Volcanology: Ash deposits.

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Citation: Taddeucci, J., M. Pompilio, and P. Scarlato (2002), Monitoring the explosive activity of the July–August 2001 eruption of Mt. Etna (Italy) by ash characterization, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29(8), 1230, doi:10.1029/2001GL014372.