A2: Mount Etna (HIC) volcano case study
Summary
TLDRThis presentation offers an in-depth case study of Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano located in Sicily, Italy. It covers the volcano's location, characteristics, tectonic setting, and volcanic activity. The script delves into Etna's documented eruption history, the impacts of its activity, and the management strategies in place. It also discusses the geological complexities, including the types of volcanoes and eruptions, and the protective measures taken to mitigate risks to the surrounding communities.
Takeaways
- 📍 Mount Etna is located in the northeastern part of Sicily, Italy, and is Europe's highest and most active volcano.
- 🌋 It covers an area of 1,250 km² and has a rich history of volcanic activity, with records dating back to 1500 BC.
- 🏙️ Mount Etna's slopes are home to 25% of Sicily's population, benefiting from the fertile soil and tourism opportunities provided by the volcano.
- 🔥 The volcano's tectonic setting involves the collision of the African and Eurasian plates, creating a destructive plate margin.
- 🌋 The type of volcanoes at Mount Etna include stratovolcanoes, calderas, and an old shield volcano, indicating a complex geological history.
- 🌋 Mount Etna's volcanic activity is primarily effusive, with lava flows being the main type of eruption, but it also experiences occasional Strombolian eruptions.
- 📈 Mount Etna has a well-documented history of eruptions, with a timeline provided from 1669 to 2013, highlighting significant eruptions and their impacts.
- 🏞️ The impacts of Mount Etna's volcanic activity are categorized into social, economic, and environmental effects, with a table summarizing recent activity and responses.
- 🛡️ Management of Mount Etna's volcanic activity involves protection measures such as diverting lava flows and monitoring techniques to predict eruptions.
- 🔍 Organizations like the Institute of National Geophysics and Volcanology in Catania monitor Mount Etna's activity, using methods like gas emissions measurement and earthquake detection.
Q & A
What is the significance of Mount Etna in terms of its location and characteristics?
-Mount Etna is located in the northeastern part of Sicily, Italy, and is Europe's highest and most active volcano. It stands at a height of 3,310 meters and covers an area of 1,250 km². Its location is significant due to its proximity to Catania, the second largest city in Italy, and its impact on the surrounding region in terms of fertile soil, tourism, and climate.
What is the tectonic setting of Mount Etna and how does it influence the volcanic activity?
-Mount Etna is situated at a destructive plate margin where the African and Eurasian continental plates collide. The African plate, being denser, subducts beneath the Eurasian plate, causing magma generation through partial melting and slab dehydration. This process leads to the formation of Mount Etna's volcanic activity.
What types of volcanoes are found at Mount Etna?
-Mount Etna features a series of nested stratovolcanoes, also known as composite volcanoes. Additionally, there are somma calderas, which are collapsed craters, such as the Central Crater, Northeast Crater, and Southeast Crater. At the base of the volcano, there is an old shield volcano, indicating past rifting.
How is the volcanic activity of Mount Etna classified by volcanologists?
-The volcanic activity at Mount Etna is predominantly effusive, characterized by lava flows onto the ground surface rather than explosive eruptions. However, there are occasional mild Strombolian eruptions with short lava flows from the summit craters.
What is the historical significance of Mount Etna's eruptions?
-Mount Etna has the longest documented history of any volcano in the world, dating back to 1500 BC. Its eruptions have been continuously monitored and documented, providing valuable insights into volcanic activity and its impacts.
How does the population living on the slopes of Mount Etna benefit from the volcanic activity?
-Approximately 25% of Sicily's population lives on the slopes of Mount Etna, benefiting from the rich fertile soil created by the volcanic activity, which supports agriculture, as well as the tourism industry attracted by the volcano's climate and volcanic activity.
What are some of the methods used to protect against the hazards of volcanic eruptions at Mount Etna?
-Protection measures include digging trenches to divert lava, building barriers to protect against lava flow, and using explosives to disrupt and redirect lava flow. These methods aim to reduce the damage caused by eruptions and protect lives.
How is the volcanic activity at Mount Etna monitored and predicted?
-Monitoring and prediction involve studying the volcano's history, measuring gas emissions and land swelling, and monitoring groundwater levels. Seismic activity is also measured to detect signs of magma movement, which can indicate an impending eruption.
What are the social, economic, and environmental impacts of Mount Etna's volcanic activity?
-The impacts are categorized into social, economic, and environmental aspects. Social impacts include the threat to human life and displacement of populations. Economic impacts involve damage to infrastructure and agriculture. Environmental impacts encompass changes to the landscape and ecosystems due to volcanic activity.
How can the information from the timeline of Mount Etna's volcanic activity be used to enhance understanding and preparedness?
-The timeline provides a detailed account of past eruptions and their impacts, which can help in identifying patterns, predicting future activity, and implementing appropriate protective measures to mitigate potential hazards.
What role does the Institute of National Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) play in monitoring Mount Etna?
-The INGV has been monitoring Mount Etna for over 20 years, collecting data on eruptions, gas emissions, seismic activity, and other indicators. This information is crucial for understanding the volcano's behavior and for predicting and preparing for potential eruptions.
Outlines
🌋 Introduction to Mount Etna
This paragraph introduces Mount Etna, a volcano located in Sicily, Italy. It highlights its significance as Europe's highest and most active volcano, towering at 3,310 meters above sea level. The volcano's location near Catania, the second largest city in Italy, and its impact on the region's population and economy are discussed. The script emphasizes the benefits of volcanic activity, such as fertile soil and tourism, while also acknowledging the need for understanding its tectonic setting and volcanic activity. The paragraph sets the stage for a detailed exploration of Mount Etna's characteristics, history, and management.
🔍 Tectonic Setting and Volcanic Activity of Mount Etna
This section delves into the tectonic setting of Mount Etna, explaining its classification as a destructive plate margin due to the collision of the African and Eurasian plates. The African plate's subduction under the Eurasian plate triggers volcanic activity, leading to the formation of Mount Etna. The paragraph discusses the complex geological history of the volcano, including the presence of nested stratovolcanoes, calderas, and an old shield volcano. It also covers the types of volcanic eruptions observed at Mount Etna, predominantly effusive, with occasional strombolian eruptions. The importance of understanding these geological processes for effective volcanic management is emphasized.
📚 Historical Timeline and Impacts of Mount Etna's Eruptions
This paragraph focuses on the historical timeline of Mount Etna's volcanic activity and its impacts. It provides a detailed account of eruptions from 1669 to 2008, sourced from various textbooks, and encourages the reader to create a timeline in their notes. The timeline includes significant eruptions and their effects, such as the 1992 eruption and its impact on the town of Zafarana. The script also directs the reader to a website, Volcano Live, for information on more recent volcanic activity from 2009 to 2013. Additionally, a table summarizing recent activity impacts and responses is introduced, with instructions to color-code the impacts into social, economic, and environmental categories.
🛡️ Management and Protection Strategies for Mount Etna
The final paragraph discusses the management of Mount Etna's volcanic activity, emphasizing that while eruptions cannot be prevented, their impacts can be mitigated through protection and prediction. It outlines various strategies employed to protect against volcanic hazards, such as digging trenches to divert lava, building barriers, and using explosives to disrupt lava flow. The paragraph also highlights the importance of monitoring and prediction, including studying the volcano's history, measuring gas emissions, and monitoring earthquake activity. These methods help in identifying hazard areas and preparing for potential eruptions, ultimately aiming to reduce the damage and save lives.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Mount Etna
💡Volcanic Eruption
💡Tectonic Setting
💡Stratovolcano
💡Magma
💡Subduction
💡Eruptive History
💡Impacts of Volcanic Activity
💡Management of Volcanic Activity
💡Volcano Monitoring
💡Destructive Plate Margin
Highlights
Mount Etna is Europe's most active and highest volcano, located in Sicily, Italy.
25% of Sicily's population lives on Mount Etna's slopes due to the benefits of rich soil and tourism.
Mount Etna has a long documented history of eruptions dating back to 1500 BC.
The volcano's tectonic setting is a destructive plate margin caused by the collision of the African and Eurasian plates.
Volcanologist debates exist on whether Mount Etna is linked to hotspots or a destructive plate margin.
Mount Etna's geological history is complex, featuring nested stratovolcanoes, calderas, and an old shield volcano.
Eruptions at Mount Etna are mostly effusive, with occasional mild Strombolian activity.
The African plate's subduction under the Eurasian plate leads to magma generation and volcanic activity.
Monitoring of Mount Etna includes geochemical and seismic activity to predict eruptions.
Efforts to protect against lava flows include digging trenches, building barriers, and using explosives.
The history of Mount Etna's eruptions from 1669 to 2013 is well documented and can be analyzed for patterns.
Volcano Live website provides recent updates on volcanic activity, including from 2009 to 2013.
A table summarizes recent activity impacts and responses, categorizing them into social, economic, and environmental.
Only 77 confirmed deaths can be attributed to Mount Etna's eruptions, showing the effectiveness of management strategies.
Management of volcanic eruptions includes protection measures and continuous monitoring to predict hazards.
The Institute of National Geophysics and Volcanology has monitored Mount Etna for 20 years, aiding in hazard prediction.
Gas emissions and land swelling are measured to help predict when new eruptions may occur.
Seismic activity is monitored to track magma movement and anticipate volcanic unrest.
Transcripts
hello and welcome to mount etner an MEC
case study of volcanic eruption by the
end of this presentation and the task
you complete you will have a good
detailed understanding of Mount 's
location characteristics its tectonic
setting including the nature of its
volcanic activity the timeline of its
eruptive history knowledge on the
impacts that this volcanic activity has
caused and you will have detailed
knowledge on how it's being managed
Mount Etna Towers above Catania the
second largest city in um
and it's Europe's highest volcano at a
height of
3,310 M is also its most active it
covers an area of 1,250 km squared and
this is in the northeastern part of
Sicily in Italy as shown on the diagram
in the right hand corner um it's one of
the world's longest documented records
of eruptions which dates back to 1500 BC
and we're looking at it as it's a case
study where 25% of cis's population live
on its slapes due to the benefits that
volcanism actually provide such as the
rich fertile soil and also tourism and
lots of people go to visit due to its
climate but also due to the volcanic
activity that they can observe there
okay so this page and what I've just
talked about gives you the location
characteristics make sure that you've
made a note of these into your own
notes the next thing to consider is the
nature of mount's volcanic activity the
type of plate margin is considered to be
destructive plate marging but it does
have a very um detailed history and
there has been Continental riting some
volcanologist have linked it to hotpots
um some have linked it to destructive
plate margin according to your Chief
examiner David Redford and the textbooks
we are going to learn that it is a
destructive plate margin and this is
caused by the Collision of the African
and uran continental plates so I know
previously I've taught you that where
two Collis uh continental plates collide
we get F mountains in this case where
the African plate meets the Eurasian
plate the African plate is more denser
and acts like the oceanic plate does and
it subducts as it subducts the normal
processes of magma generation partial
melting slab dehydration that happens
causing magma to then rise to the
surface and form the volcano of Mount
Etna because of its geological history
and how complex it is the type of
volcano well there are a few different
varieties on kind of on top of each
other so a series of nested Strat
volcanoes or composite volcanoes um are
the main type of volcano but on the
sides of these volcanoes we have got
somit calderas so in past there have
been um secondary volcanoes where the
gas has got um contained within been
very explosive has erupted and then
cause um the sides of the volcano to
collapse so there is a um Central crat
a Northeast crater and a Southeast
crater and these are collapsed craters
so the Sumit
ceras if we look even further at the
base of the volcano we have an old
shield volcano and that links to um
rifting in the past okay so if when
we're talking about the type of volcano
that etner is you you start with the
idea that it's straty volcanoes you've
got the Sumit ceras where we get some
explosive activity and then we've got
this old shield volcano on the base to
add to that on the lower sides of the
volcano there are some fishes where
magma is able to ooze out effusively so
nice and gent lava flows down the slopes
and that is bastic
magma the type of magma and volcanic
activity okay because of the range of
volcanic shapes we have we've got a
range of volcanic eruptions so
volcanologists have classified the
eruptions as mostly effusive so lava
flowing onto the ground surface rather
than exploding to the air this is B IC
it flows for quite far distances hence
where it can be quite dangerous to the
towns people of Catania that live on the
slopes but also the eruptions are
occasionally Mild strombolian they have
short lava flows and they occur on the
Summits from these uh ceras so the
central the Northeast and the southeast
okay so and then on our lower flanks
where we get these fishes and the lava
flows sometimes Cinder volcanoes can be
constructed over the top of the vents
please make sure that you read and
listened through this information and
that you have notes in your own notes on
the nature of M's
volcanism what you have here is a
diagram showing this generalized
tectonic activity involved in the
formation of Mount Etna so you can see
that we've got the island of Sicily in
the center with Mount Etna being shown
using the symbol of a triangle like any
map will show you normally and you can
see that the Eurasian plate is acting
like the continental plate and the
African plate is acting like the oceanic
plate and is
subducting the text there the slab
window that is demonstrating where you
have got dehydration mounting so as the
African plate subducts underneath the
Eurasian plate the water contained
within the that plate is released and
that lowers the melting temperature
of the mantle and of that plate and as a
result you get partial melting so that's
where some minerals in that plate are
released and they are less dense than
the surrounding magma of the mantle so
they rise Under Pressure up underneath
Sicily they force their way up and
that's the magma that is producing the
volcanoes and the volcano types
discussed previously so the principles
that you would use to describe the
action at this tectonic plate are
basically the same as what we have done
before when we've looked at destructive
plate margin it is acting like an
oceanic to Continental destructive plate
your task is please draw a copy of this
diagram into your notes and then
describe and explain the process of
subduction at this plate margin as I've
just talked you through and then lead
this on to how it is actually forming
the tectonic volcanic activity at the
Mount Etna so how are we getting
composite volcanoes from
this okay so Mount etner has the longest
documented history of any volcano in the
world what we're going to do is we're
starting at
1669 and we're going to go right up to
2013 now the page that you can see in
front of you is a timeline of Mount
nea's volcanic activity and its impacts
from 16 69 to 2008 this has come from a
whole source of different textbooks
mostly those written by your Chief
examiner what I'd like you to do is read
through this timeline and make a copy of
it into your own notes and what it gives
you is details about the year and
actually what happened and some impacts
that the activity caused okay leave room
for year 2009 to
2013 which will be a website task I'm
going to direct to into the next slide
okay okay so make sure you do get all
this detail down um into your notes
because Mount enner is not just one
eruption it is a series eruption and
that's why it's very important that it
is monitored so it links to this case
study of continuous monitoring okay once
you've completed the this timeline part
here the next slide will give you
instructions for how to add it up to
2013 okay so having got up to 2008 in
your timeline already this website
called Volcano live gives you lots of
information about lots of different
volcanoes what I've put in there for you
is man etner and you can track back for
as well very very far in regards to the
activity but what I want you to focus on
is from 2019 to 2013 so read through the
information about the tectonic activity
and add it to your copy of the
timeline Okay so so far we've done
location characteristics we've done the
nature of the eruption and we've done
the timeline the next page kind of links
the timeline to the impact so I provided
you with a table summarizing recent
activity impacts and responses to man
Etna what you want you to do is make a
copy of the table into notes and then
use a key to color code the impacts into
social economic and environmental there
are other ways to be synoptic with um
impacts but for this case study can you
just color code them into these three CR
criteria so make a copy of the table use
free colors and color code the impacts
into social economic and
environmental this is the table I was
talking about okay so you got four
columns make a nice neat copy you'll see
that there is some information around
the table that is not included please
add that in so the
22203 lava flows destroy the tourist
stations comment if you can add that
into the October 2002 box
the comment at the bottom is estimate
that only 77 confirmed deaths can be
attributed to eruptions um you can leave
that separate or you could add an extra
row on the top and put it as
1979 okay but please make sure you have
a copy of this and you have colorcoded
into social economic and
environmental okay so we're moving on to
management a volcanic eruption Cann not
be prevented but we can protect against
the hazards to some degree and we can
predict if an eruption is going to
happen it's not an exact science though
so although we might be able to predict
an eruption is H going to happen we
cannot give an exact time for it and
sometimes eruption activity will die
down okay but we cannot prevent it
because we can protect and predict it
there places such as man Etna which
experience frequent eruptions we can put
in actions into place to reduce the
damage that it will cause and to save
people's lives so on the next two pages
is a summary of the ways in which people
and organizations are protected and
protected the volcanic of Mount Etna
basically I want you to read through it
and I want you to copy this information
to your notes so you have a good
detailed summary on what the
organizations and people are doing along
the slopes of man Etna in the
settlements surrounding man Etna to
protect themselves and to predict if an
eruption is going to
happen so first of all we have
protection so from from your lesson a
general lesson on how we manage the
nature of eruptions the impacts
protection means preparing for the event
by modifying the human and built
environments to decrease vulnerability
okay so how at risk people are um if
they're older if they're close to an
eruption that refers to vulnerability
but protection also includes attempts to
modify the loss by insurance and Aid
also it involves everyone from individ
of Civil Authorities so I've taken three
key areas for protection for Mount Etna
and what they've done so number one is
dig trenches to divert lava in 1669 the
town's people of Catania dug a tunnel to
divert the lava away from their homes
this was successful however it did
divert the lava to another town further
down the slopes so in the short term of
successful for Catania but for the town
that then got subsequently inundated
with lava it was was a disaster number
two build barriers to divert lava flow
an earth barrier of 750,000 cubic M was
built across the southern end of the Val
debove area above the Eastern crater in
1991 this was done to protect the town
of zafarana this was a temporary measure
whilst they put in other protective
measures El um elsewhere but in Spring
of
1992 this and the smaller barriers that
led down into Valley of zafrana were
over popped so it it helped for a short
period of time but they then had to put
other methods um into action which I'll
talk about in a moment they also use
this technique um in 2002 where they
built dams of soil and volcanic rock um
at the base of the at the tourist base
at ruio sapan and helped to divert the
flow okay so this method of building
barriers to divert and protect against
lava flow has been used on two occasions
with some temporary
success explosive activity to try and
divert lava flow is number three on the
23rd of May
1992 following the um over topping of
the barriers that have been built
explosives were used near the source of
the lava flow to disrupt it and to
redirect it so a lava tube system is
where the top covers over it hardens and
that keeps the heat inside the tube so
that the magma inside it moves at faster
rate so the explosions were used to
break up that lava tube system expose it
to the atmosphere and cool the lava down
to slow it um this forced lava into a
new artificial Channel as they were able
to then divert it and that took the lava
away from zafarana okay so that was a
successful um method they
used prediction or monitoring prediction
are methods used to identify whether a
hazard will occur so number one study
the history of the volcano so the
Catania section of the Institute of
national g and Fisco e volcania ining GV
a mouthful I know um has monitored the
volcano for 20 years so they have a long
detailed history of the eruption
activity of the volcano from this they
can identify um Hazard areas they can
look at previous flows and they can work
out what areas are at risk
number two is to measure gas emissions
land swelling and groundwater levels so
geochemical monitoring programs at Mount
Etna test the gas the fluid emissions to
help predict when new eruptions are
going to happen and if dangerous
emissions are being um emitted so the
levels have increased the sulfur dioxide
plume flux that occurs from the stomach
craters is routinely measured by a
technique called correlation
spectrometry and this happens from a
ground vehicle and from a helicopter
these are are methods that you will have
learned about in the general lesson on
excuse me how we protect and predict and
prevent number three measure the shock
waves generated by magma traveling
upwards so earthquakes can occur from
tectonic activity where plates move
apart move towards each other and
friction builds up but they can also
occur due to magmatic activity where
magma is moving up through the magma
chamber up the vent and as a result if
we can um they will compress the rock
around them causing Tremors
soeters the um technique used to measure
earthquakes are used around Mount slopes
to measure earthquake activity from
magma moving into the vent and forc its
way
upwards make sure that you have all
these detailed points about Mount Etna
in your
notes so having completed this
presentation and the tasks outlined and
talked to you about you should arrive at
next lesson with the following knowledge
and understanding about Mount
you should be able to tell me about it
location characteristics including where
it's located the percentage of people
that live on its
slopes you then should be able to tell
me about the nature of Mount E's
volcanic activity this includes the type
of plate margin it is on the type of
volcanoes and the complex geological
history that caused the activity
associated with it you should have
detailed knowledge on the timeline of
its volcanic activity especially in
recent years highlights to consider are
19 1992 eruption and the 2002
eruption number four you should have a
general understanding and a
categorization of the impacts of Mount
ent's volcanic activity and number five
you should have knowledge and
understanding on the management of Mount
ent's volcanic activity in terms of
prediction and
protection okay I look forward to seeing
you in the next lesson
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