Volcanoes of the Isole Eolie

Isole Eolie (Aeolian Islands)

Contents

  • Introduction
  • Alicudi
  • Filicudi
  • Lipari
  • Panarea
  • Stromboli
  • Salina
  • Vulcano
  • References
  • Travelling in the Isole Eolie

    Map of the Eolian Islands, taken from Pichler (1981).

    This enchanting view (to the east) is from the Chiesetta di San Bartolo on Alicudi and shows, from left to right, the neighboring islands of Filicudi, Salina, and Lipari. From other vantage points, also Stromboli and Vulcano could be perfectly seen, while Panarea was not visible because it lies in line behind Salina. Taken on the afternoon of 30 August 1994.

    Sunset seen from Leni, on the south side of Salina, 26 September 1995. The Isole Eolie offer frequent and ever-changing displays of this kind.

    INTRODUCTION

    The Eolian Islands (also known as the Aeolian, or Lipari, Islands) lie off the northeastern coast of Sicily. The south coast of Vulcano lies about 25 km NW of the northern tip of the Milazzo peninsula; Stromboli lies about 75 km to the north of that point. The archipelago consists of seven major and numerous small to very small islands. Lipari, the largest of the islands (see table below), is also the most populated and the administrative center of six of the seven islands (Comune di Lipari); Salina is politically independent and has three individual towns (comuni), Santa Marina di Salina, Malfa, and Leni. 

    ISLAND     AREA (sq km)     ELEVATION (m)     INHABITANTS
    
Alicudi    5.2              675               100
Filicudi   9.5              774               250
Salina     26.8             962               2300
Lipari     37.6             602               8500
Vulcano    21               500               450
Panarea    3.4              421               300
Stromboli  12.6             924 (or 926)      400
    Tectonic setting (still under construction)

    Still not well understood, the geological and tectonic setting of the Eolian Islands (as of most Sicilian volcanic areas) is rather complex and does not fit into the widely known tectonic environments such as mid-ocean ridges (MOR), subduction zones or intraplate volcanic areas. Crisci et a. (1991) in fact note that "both the tectonic setting and the unusual geochemical characteristics of the Aeolian volcanoes have led to a variety of interpretations". For some time, the Eolie have been interpreted as an island arc lying above a detached subducting slab (see, e.g., Barberi et al. 1974, Keller 1982), based on the Benioff-zone-like distribution of earthquakes below the islands. However, the interpretation of the tectonic setting has recently been significantly modified, based on new geophysical research data and the geochemistry of the eruptive products of the Eolian volcanoes.

    It is now thought that subduction of the northern margin of the African Plate below the southeastern Tyrrhenian Sea has ended and is now overprinted by rifting (Mazzuoli et al. 1995), testified by the apprearance of more alkalic (mostly shoshonitic) lavas in the recent history of the Eolian volcanoes. The recent rifting indeed does not affect all of the islands but only Vulcano, Lipari, Stromboli, and, to a lesser degree, Salina, which are also the most recently active ones.

    ALICUDI

    Photo above: Most remote and westernmost of the Aeolian Islands, Alicudi has retained much of the "savage" character that all of these islands once had. Rising steeply from the sea, the island does not offer much opportunity to build streets; thus there is only one leading from the port to the largest hotel on the island - its length may be at best 300 m. Everything else is stairs. The principal means of transport on Alicudi is donkeys.
    The highest place on the island is 675 m-high Montagnola, with its neighboring peak Filo dell'Arpa (662 m).
    Geologically, Alicudi is more recent than previously believed. In a recent paper by Manetti et al. (1995b), an age of 28 ka is given for the youngest volcanics on the island, a cluster of lava domes (Filo dell'Arpa) within a small summit caldera both of which are visible in the image. Photo taken on 30 August 1994.

    Geological sketch map of Alicudi, simplified version after Manetti et al. (1995b)

    FILICUDI

    Photo above: Significantly more complex than Alicudi, Filicudi has several small villages, a street network, and more varied volcanic centers. The highest point is Monte Fossa Felci (named identically as Salina's highest peak) reaching 774 m. It is the high peak visible slightly off the center to the right. Important secondary volcanic centers are Montagnola (got it? This name is used frequently as well in the Eolie) and Capo Graziano. The youngest of these features is the dacitic lava dome cluster of Montagnola (visible behind left slope of Monte Fossa delle Felci), probably extruded some 35,000 years ago. Photo taken 30 August 1994.

    Geological and structural sketch map of Filicudi, after Manetti et al. (1995a).

    View of the well-preserved lava dome complex of Monte Montagnola from the SE, 9 September 1995. The village of Pecorini lies in the area below the dome. Monte Fossa Felci lies out of the image to the right.

    View from Valdichiesa, on the E flank of the Fossa Felci complex, down towards Filicudi Porto and the lava dome complex forming Capo Graziano, on 10 September 1995. The islands of Salina (left) and Lipari (right) are visible in the background. View is to the SE.

    SALINA

    Photo above: Salina, the second largest of the Isole Eolie, is seen here from the southwest, from the aliscafo (hydrofoil) connecting Lipari with Filicudi/Alicudi. The notably regular peak in the center is Monte dei Porri (860 m), superseded in height by Monte Fossa delle Felci (962 m) to the right: this is the highest mountain of the archipelago. On the left-hand slope of Monte dei Porri there is the vast amphitheater-shaped crater of Pollara, site of a violent very late Quaternary eruption (maybe 13,000 BP). The western (left) half of this crater lies below the sea. One of the most suggestive places in the Eolie, Pollara has its most amazing spot in Punta Perciato, an impressive natural arc that forms the westernmost tip of the island and is well visible in the enlarged version of this image. Distant neighbor, Stromboli island lies on left margin of the photograph. Photo taken 30 August 1994.

    Simpified geological map of Salina, from Barca & Ventura (1993).

    More about Salina and its volcanoes

    STROMBOLI

    Stromboli seen from the north on 18 March 1992.

    More about Stromboli

    PANAREA

    Panarea seen from the SW on 7 November 1990.

    LIPARI

    Photo above: Panoramic view of the southern part of Lipari, from the summit of Monte S. Angelo, on 15 September 1995. Notable features are annotated (visible in the large ca. 150 k JPG version of the photo).

    Simplified geological map of Lipari, taken from Crisci et al. (1991).

    More about Lipari and its volcanoes

    VULCANO

    Photo above: Vulcano, the southernmost island of the Eolie, has given name to all volcanoes in the world. Site of spectacular activity in the Ancient times and through the 19th century, the crater visible in this photo (Gran Cratere or Fossa Grande) has last erupted in 1888-1890. The long repose period since then and the charm of the place has allowed the rapid development of a settlement, merely a cluster of small houses thirty years ago, now an ever-growing accumulation of villas and hotels. Second to Vesuvio, this is Italy's most dangerous volcano due to the presence of this community in a more-than-irrational proximity to the crater.

    The Gran Cratere is filling the foreground of this image; behind (and slightly to the right) lies the peninsula of Vulcanello, formed only during the past <2500 years; in the central background is the complex island of Lipari with its Monte S. Angelo forming what appears to be the highest point (although that is Monte Chirica, at 602 m). The twinned cones of Salina's Monte dei Porri (left) and Monte Fossa delle Felci form the left skyline. Image was taken from below the highest part of Gran Cratere (391 m) on 18 April 1995.

    More about Vulcano

    REFERENCES (selection)

    Barberi F, Innocenti F, Ferrara G, Keller J and Villari L (1974) Evolution of Eolian Arc volcanism (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea). Earth and Planetary Science Letters vol 21: 269-276

    Barca D and Ventura G (1993) Evoluzione vulcano-tettonica dell'isola di Salina (Arcipelago delle Eolie). Memorie della Società Geologica Italiana vol 47: 401-415

    Calanchi N, Capaccioni B, Martini M, Tassi F and Valentini L (1995) Submarine gas-emission from Panarea Island (Aeolian Archipelago): distribution of inorganic and organic compounds and inferences about source conditions. Acta Vulcanologica vol 7: 43-48

    Calanchi N, De Rosa R, Mazzuoli R, Rossi P, Santacroce R and Ventura G (1993) Silicic magma entering a basaltic magma chamber: eruptive dynamics and magma mixing - an example from Salina (Aeolian Islands, Southern Tyrrhenian Sea). Bulletin of Volcanology vol 55: 504-522

    Cortese M, Frazzetta G and La Volpe L (1986) Volcanic history of Lipari (Aeolian Islands, Italy) during the last 10,000 years. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research vol 27: 117-133

    Crisci GM, De Rosa R, Lanzafame G, Mazzuoli R, Sheridan MF and Zuffa GG (1981) Monte Guardia Sequence: a Late-Pleistocene eruptive cycle on Lipari (Italy). Bulletin of Volcanology vol 44: 241-255

    Crisci GM, De Rosa R, Esperanca S, Mazzuoli R & Sonnino M (1991) Temporal evolution of a three component system: the island of Lipari (Aeolian Arc, southern Italy). Bulletin of Volcanology vol 53: 207-221.

    Gabbianelli G, Gillot PY, Lanzafame G, Romagnoli C and Rossi PL (1990) Tectonic and volcanic evolution of Panarea (Aeolian Islands, Italy). Marine Geology vol 92: 313-326

    Keller J (1982) Mediterranean island arcs. In: Thorpe RS (ed) Andesites. Wiley, Chichester: 307-325

    Lanzafame G, Ricci Lucchi F and Rossi PL (1987) Evidence of surges overtopping a large topographic barrier: Salina island, Aeolian Archipelago, Italy. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research vol 32: 355-361

    Manetti P, Pasquaré G and Tsegaye A (1995a) A new geo-volcanological map of Filicudi Island (Aeolian Arc, Italy). Acta Vulcanologica vol 7: 1-5 (incl 1:10,000 map)

    Manetti P, Pasquaré G, Tibaldi A and Tsegaye A (1995b) Geology, structure and evolution of the island of Alicudi, Aeolian Volcanic Arc, Italy. Acta Vulcanologica vol 7: 7-12

    Mazzuoli R, Tortorici L and Ventura G (1995) Oblique rifting in Salina, Lipari and Vulcano islands (Aeolian islands, southern Italy). Terra Nova vol 7: 444-452

    Santo AP, Chen Y, Clark AH, Farrar E and Tsegaye A (1995) 40Ar/39Ar ages of the Filicudi volcanics: implications for the volcanological history of the Aeolian Arc, Italy. Acta Vulcanologica vol 7: 13-18

    TRAVELLING IN THE ISOLE EOLIE

    This page will contain information about how to get to the Eolian Islands, where to find places to stay, and how to move from one island to another. You will also find some important contact addresses and fax numbers (e-mail still is not very widespread in this ambient).

    Go to the travel info page for the details

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    Back to BB's volcano home page

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    Last modified on 17 December 1995