Search results for "volcanic risk"
showing 8 items of 8 documents
Patterns in the recent 2007-2008 activity of Mount Etna volcano investigated by integrated geophysical and geochemical observations
2010
[1] Seismic, deformation, and volcanic gas observations offer independent and complementary information on the activity state and dynamics of quiescent and eruptive volcanoes and thus all contribute to volcanic risk assessment. In spite of their wide use, there have been only a few efforts to systematically integrate and compare the results of these different monitoring techniques. Here we combine seismic (volcanic tremor and long-period seismicity), deformation (GPS), and geochemical (volcanic gas plume CO2/SO2 ratios) measurements in an attempt to interpret trends in the recent (2007–2008) activity of Etna volcano. We show that each eruptive episode occurring at the Southeast Crater (SEC)…
A first Multi-GAS based characterisation of the Boiling Lake's (Dominica, Lesser Antilles) volcanic gas plume
2013
We used a Multi-component Gas Analyser System (Multi-GAS) to measure, for the very first time, the composition (H2O, CO2, H2S, SO2) of the volcanic gas plume issuing from the Boiling Lake, a vigorously degassing, hot (T ~ 80-90°C) volcanic lake in Dominica, West Indies. The Multi- GAS captured in-plume concentrations of H2O, CO2 and H2S were well above those typical of ambient atmosphere, while no volcanic SO2 was detected (<0.05 ppm). These were used to derive the Boiling Lake plume characteristic ratios of CO2/H2S (5.2±0.4) and H2O/CO2 (31.4±6). Assuming that other volcanic gas species (e.g., HCl, CO, H2, N2, etc.) are absent in the plume, we recalculated a (air-free) composition for the …
First multi-GAS based characterisation of the Boiling Lake volcanic gas (Dominica, Lesser Antilles)
2013
We used a Multi-component Gas Analyser System (Multi-GAS) to measure, for the very first time, the composition (H2O, CO2, H2S, SO2) of the volcanic gas plume issuing from the Boiling Lake, a vigorously degassing, hot (T ~ 80-90°C) volcanic lake in Dominica, West Indies. The Multi-GAS captured in-plume concentrations of H2O, CO2 and H2S were well above those typical of ambient atmosphere, while no volcanic SO2 was detected (&lt;0.05 ppm). These were used to derive the Boiling Lake plume characteristic ratios of CO2/H2S (5.2±0.4) and H2O/CO2 (31.4±6). Assuming that other volcanic gas species (e.g., HCl, CO, H2, N2, etc.) are absent in the plume, we recalculated a (air-free) composition fo…
Sulphur-gas concentrations in volcanic and geothermal areas in Italy and Greece: Characterising potential human exposures and risks
2013
Abstract Passive samplers were used to measure the atmospheric concentrations of SO 2 naturally emitted at three volcanoes in Italy (Etna, Vulcano and Stromboli) and of H 2 S naturally emitted at three volcanic/geothermal areas in Greece (Milos, Santorini and Nisyros). The measured concentrations and dispersion patterns varied with the strength of the source (open conduits or fumaroles), the meteorological conditions and the area topography. At Etna, Vulcano and Stromboli, SO 2 concentrations reach values that are dangerous to people affected by bronchial asthma or lung diseases (> 1000 μg m − 3 ). H 2 S values measured at Nisyros also exceed the limit considered safe for the same group of …
Etna and the perception of volcanic risk
2013
Sicily’s uneven geological structure is positioned within a system of tectonic plates, and its very active volcano has always made it prone to disasters. Many Sicilian cities have in fact been destroyed by natural events many times over the centuries. This can certainly be understood negatively as the destruction of entire towns, the emission of volcanic ash, and the mutation of landscapes by a terrifying force have instilled fearful memories in local populations. But from another point of view one must consider the positive elements of Etna. Its beautiful landscapes were a major attraction on the Grand Tour, and its inhabitants have long associated the volcano with the concept of rebirth a…
Volcanic risk and the role of the media. A case study in the Etna area
2019
On December 24, 2018, the Etna volcano has recorded a significant eruption. Linked to this phenomenon, after a seismic swarm of 72 shocks, a 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck a large area North of Catania city, on the Eastern coast of Sicily. Six villages reported 28 injured people and damages to the building. According to seismologists the earthquake had an unusual level of magnitude. Yet, despite the real danger of this event, many people who live around the volcano, in one of the most densely populated areas of Sicily, perceived these facts in an ambivalent way. Indeed, their lives continued as before even in awareness of the natural hazard, while several media presented the situation as r…
Mitigating the highest volcanic risk in the World: a multidisciplinary strategy for the Neapolitan area
2020
Neapolitan volcanic area is by far the highest volcanic risk one in the World, due to the presence of three active volcanic areas (Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei, Ischia) with an extreme population density: three million people live within 20 km from a possible volcanic vent. Volcanic risk in these areas is strictly associated to seismic risk, and to other secondary risks as landslides and flooding (De Natale et al., 2019; 2020). The mitigation of such an extreme risk can only be afforded by considering volcanological, as well as economical, urban and social issues. All these highly multidisciplinary aspects must be jointly recognized and shared by both volcanologists and decision makers, in a glo…
Le politiche di contrasto al rischio da maremoto: il caso di Stromboli
2020
This chapter, intending to be part of the reasoning on the perception of risk from extreme natural events, intends to describe the main contents of the National Emergency Plan for volcanic events of national importance on the island of Stromboli (ME) prepared in 2015 by the Department for the Civil Protection (DPC). The volcanic island of Stromboli is in fact largely exposed to the risk associated with the activities of the volcano of the same name, especially that of the tsunami. The effusive activity of the Stromboli in fact causes a marked instability of the slope known as Sciara del Fuoco which can induce, as happened at the end of 2002, a tsunami. The contribution, starting from a desc…