Aerial photo of the craters and the Sciara del Fuoco, slightly in the background on the left (Stromboli, 2009 – Photo by G. De Astis)
Diurnal Strombolian explosion, of ordinary type, from NE crater and crater terrace (Photo by G. De Astis)
Photo/still image of the violent Strombolian eruption (paroxysm) which took place on 5 April 2003 (photo from the video by P. Scarlato, INGV Roma1) which produced the launch of lithic and juvenile material both in the crater region and on the sides of the volcano, with the formation of a convective cloud and a small pyroclastic flow (right).
(video with the three types of explosive events that can occur on Stromboli, including the April 2003 event).
Location and maximum height: : Aeolian Islands Archipelago, Southern Tyrrhenian Sea; 38°47′38″N - 15°12′40″E; i Vancori ≈926 m above sea level >
Start of activity ≈200000 years (Strombolicchio);
≈85000 years (emerged part of Stromboli)
Alert level (current):
Stromboli, one of the few volcanoes on Earth in "persistent" activity, is the northernmost of the seven Aeolian Islands. Its conical-shaped building, in the upper part, is characterized by the presence of a small "crater terrace" located at about 700-750 m above sea level, where there are 3 active craters which for several decades have occupied the NE end, the center and the SW part of this terrace. Immediately above the crater area rises the Pizzo sopra la Fossa. Another distinctive element of this stratovolcano is the Sciara del Fuoco, a slight and steep depression in the shape of a horseshoe (or amphitheater) which occupies the NW flank of the cone (fig./photo). The base of the volcanic edifice is located at a depth of about 2000 meters below sea level
In progress for several centuries now, the explosive activity visible at the craters is what is known and classified throughout the world as "Strombolian". It consists of small explosions separated from each other, with fragments of incandescent lava, lapilli and ashes thrown up to a few tens or hundreds of meters above the vents. The explosions last from a few seconds to tens of seconds and are separated by intervals that can vary from minutes to several hours. During periods of more sustained activity, some vents produce an almost continuous activity of lava shreds (spattering), which can sometimes lead to the formation of small intracrater lava flows (eg August 2009 and January 2010). Explosions larger and much more dangerous than the usual Strombolian activity are the so-called "paroxysms". These events launch bombs and blocks up to the summit area (Pizzo sopra la Fossa) and sometimes the fallout of incandescent pyroclastic material affects the external slopes of the volcano, causing fires in the vegetation. The strongest paroxysms in the last 100 years were those of 1919, 1930, 2003 and the last two, close together, in the summer of 2019.
Eruptions with the emission of lava flows (overflows from craters or opening of effusive mouths outside the craters) occur at irregular intervals (on average once or twice a decade). These effusions can last from a few days to many months (2002-2003 eruption: 206 days). The initiation of a lava effusion is often accompanied by strong explosive activity at the summit craters. When they reach the sea, the flows form deltas which are usually rapidly eroded by the action of the sea.
Despite its conical morphology suggesting a monotonous activity, Stromboli has a complex eruptive history, characterized by the growth and subsequent destruction of several volcanic edifices and by frequent lateral eruptions.
