New photos of Italy's volcanoes (September-October 1996)

Etna seen from the E on 9 September 1996. The summit cone with the active Northeast Crater is hidden by a gas plume. The enormous caldera of Valle del Bove is plainly visible in the center of the photo. On the extreme left, the buildings of Zafferana lie below the lava flows of the large 1792-1793 eruption which are still lacking any significant vegetation. An eruption 200 years after that event threatened the village again; the 1991-1993 lava flows are visible in the left lower part of Valle del Bove.

Three views of Etna's Northeast Crater on 14 September 1996. The shape of the crater has changed notably since October 1995. The most striking feature is a new cone that has grown on the SW side of the crater rim and that is visible in the center of the photo at left. A lava flow erupted during one of the November 1995 eruptive episodes lies in the right foreground of that photo,and part of the old crater rim is visible at left. The photo in the center shows the November 1995 flow in the foreground, with Giada Giuntoli scrambling over it. Note large dark bombs scattered over the surface of the flow, probably from the June-August 1996 eruptive activity. Right photo shows the 3.5 m high front of the lava flow. Person in center is Carmelo Monaco of Catania University.

VULCANO ISLAND

Vulcano seen from the NNW on 10 October 1996, showing Vulcanello at left, and the Lentia Caldera with the recently active cone of La Fossa in the center. The high peak at right is Monte Saraceno, a partly destroyed scoria cone sitting on the rim of the Lentia Caldera.

Left: A particular view of the Fossa cone of Vulcano looming over the village of Vulcano Porto (at left). The photo shows the Pietre Cotte lava flow (erupted in the 18th century) on the near left flank of the cone, arriving at its base. This is the view from Lentia, a major tourist facility on the NW rim of the Lentia Caldera. Photo taken on 6 October 1996. Center: Panoramic view of the Lentia caldera with the Fossa cone sitting in its center, from the S rim of Lentia Caldera (which corresponds with the N boundary of the Piano in the south part of the island); 6 October 1996. Right: Peter Stroncik-Treue (of Geomar) standing in the central part of the fumarole field on the northern rim of the Fossa crater, 22 September 1996. The fact that one can stay there that easily testifies to the very reduced level of fumarolic activity, compared to the period 1985-1995.

Left: Spectacular section through a pre-Lentia Caldera lava dome sitting on the caldera rim next to the touristic village of Lentia. Height of the structure is 30-50 m. Photo taken on 6 October 1996. Center: Looking down from Monte Saraceno over the vast Piano Caldera of Vulcano, 6 October 1996. The caldera floor is very flat and extremely scenic. The village of Vulcano Piano extends over most of the plain, bordered by a forest on its SW (far right) side. View is towards SSE. Right: Looking northwards from the southern rim of the Piano Caldera on 6 October 1996. The cone of La Fossa does not appear very prominent from this side and barely looms over the N rim of the caldera (center) while Monte Saraceno (left) forms a much more conspicuous landmark. In the far background there are the islands of Lipari and Salina. The verdant plain of Piano Caldera is in the foreground.

LIPARI ISLAND

Left: View from the upper south flank of Monte Pilato (NE part of Lipari) towards the Vallone del Gabellotto. Small village of Lami is in center; behind it there is the gorge of Gabellotto with thick pumice deposits making up its walls. These deposits exceed 80 m in thickness and are the productes of the first and largest explosive eruption from the Monte Pilato area, about 8000 years ago. Photo taken on 1 October 1996. Right: Outcrop in the upper part of Valle Muria, in the SW part of Lipari island. Surge and fall deposits of the Monte Guardia sequence, a late Pleistocene formation consisting of pyoclastics and lava domes. Note bomb sags from ballistic fragments. Height of outcrop is about 3 m. Photo taken on 20 September 1996.

SALINA ISLAND

Views from the summit of Monte dei Porri, the second highest mountain (860 m) of Salina, on 29 September 1996. Left photo shows the view across Valdichiesa (Valley of the Church) towards Monte Fossa delle Felci which is 100 m higher than Monte dei Porri (looking ESE). The more dissected structure at left is what remains of Riva, a volcano predating Fossa delle Felci and Porri volcanoes. The 17th century church "Santissima Maria del Terzito" is visible in the center at the bottom of the valley. Right photo is towards NW into the explosion crater of Pollara, site of Salina's most recent eruption (about 13 ka BP). Besides being of considerable geological interest, Pollara is one of the most beautiful places of Italy.

Along the road leading from Santa Marina di Salina to Malfa, there are numerous spectacular outcrops, being both geologically interesting and aesthetically attractive. The outcrops shown here cut pyroclastic deposits of Riva and Fossa delle Felci volcanoes, displaying some unconformities and interbedding of more and less mafic rocks. Photos were taken on 29 September 1996.

All photos by Boris Behncke