The increase in eruptive activity observed in recent weeks on Stromboli volcano, culminating last December XNUMX with a major explosion, highlights the need to improve understanding of Strombolian explosive eruptions and develop new techniques for monitoring active volcanoes. The multi-parameter experiment was carried out again this year with this aim Broadband Acquisition and Imaging Operation - BAcIO 2017, organized in Stromboli by the High Pressure High Temperature Laboratory of Experimental Geophysics and Volcanology (HPHT) of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV). Among the activities carried out, the morphological modifications that occurred in the area of the craters of the Aeolian volcano, one year after the previous experiment, the volcanic activity at the active vents and their dimensions were observed (Photo 1).
As in previous editions, the experiment, coordinated by INGV volcanologist Jacopo Taddeucci, saw the participation of about 30 Italian and foreign researchers from 5 universities in 4 countries (Italy, Germany, United Kingdom, USA).
Among this year's novelties, the presence of researchers in the meteorological sector who carried out surveys on the electric field connected to volcanic activity. For the measurements in the atmosphere above the volcano, weather balloons were used, equipped with sensors for measuring various parameters in the volcanic cloud, such as temperature, humidity, ash concentration and electric field (Photo 5).
Four high-speed, high-resolution cameras and two synchronized thermal cameras were used to observe Stromboli's explosions in detail (Photos 2 and 3 and Thermal video). It was possible to observe, from close range, the active vents and other areas of the volcano otherwise unreachable due to the dangers associated with the volcano's explosive activity (Video 2 YOUTUBE). These observations made it possible to measure the morphological variations that occurred in the area of the craters one year after the previous experiment, and to describe the dimensions of the vents where the explosions take place and the presence of magma inside them (Photo 1). From the high-definition images of the craters taken in 2016, it was finally possible to create a high-resolution digital model of the summit area of Stromboli. The result was published by the team of researchers, coinciding with this year's edition of the experiment, in the journal of theAmerican Geophysical Union EOS.
Il Laboratory of High Pressures - High Temperatures of Experimental Geophysics and Volcanology , headed by Piergiorgio Scarlato, is located in the Rome office of INGV. Many analytical and experimental activities are concentrated here to support research and monitoring, but also the development of technologies and new survey methodologies. Some of the leading researches of INGV in the volcanological, seismic and environmental fields are carried out in the laboratory, some of which are financed as part of European projects. The most recent experimental activities, also carried out in collaboration with laboratories in other countries, concern simulations and measurements related to the physics of rocks and earthquakes, the chemical-physical properties of magmas and the analogical modeling of volcanic processes. The laboratory is also a pole of attraction for Italian and foreign researchers.
Turner, N., B. Houghton, J. Taddeucci, J. von der Lieth, U. Kueppers, D. Gaudin, T. Ricci, K. Kim, and P. Scarlato (2017), Drone peers into open volcanic vents, Eos, 98, https://doi.org/10.1029/2017EO082751. Published on 27 September 2017.
Photo 1. Currently active North-East crater on Stromboli photographed by a drone at a distance of 5 meters (Credits: ITN project VERTIGO (@VERTIGO_ITN), Ludwig Maximilian University (@LMU_Volc)
Photo 2: high resolution image of an explosion on Stromboli on 28 September 2017 (Credits: HPHT Lab INGV INGV)
Photo 3: thermal image of the currently active craters on Stromboli (credits: HPHT Lab INGV)
Photo 4: an image of the experiment on Stromboli (credits: HPHT lab INGV)
Photo 5 : preparation for the balloon launch to study the electric field on the summit of the Stromboli volcano (credits: HPHT lab INGV)
Video 1: shot from a drone on the craters of Stromboli during an explosion. (credits: Turner, N., B. Houghton, J. Taddeucci, J. von der Lieth, U. Kueppers, D. Gaudin, T. Ricci, K. Kim, and P. Scalato (2017), Drone peers into open volcanic vents, Eos, 98). LINK
Video 2: thermal recovery of explosions at Stromboli on 3 October 2017 (Credits: HPHT Lab INGV). LINK