Field trip to the Ischia resurgent caldera, a journey across an active volcano in the Gulf of Naples

Ischia is one of the most impressive examples of post-caldera resurgence in the world, with its almost 1,000 m of uplift in less than 30 ka. This three-days field trip will lead the participants through the geological and volcanological history of the island, illustrating the volcanic and related hazardous phenomena threatening about 50,000 inhabitants. Effusive and explosive eruptions, catastrophic earthquakes and huge debris-avalanches struck the island that, since Neolithic times, experienced a complex history of alternating human colonization and natural disasters. The field trip consists of three routes: 1) the circumnavigation of the island, aimed to outline its main volcanological, geomorphological and tectonic features and to observe the oldest volcanic rocks exposed, stimulating discussions about coastal evolution and the relationships between volcanism, volcano-tectonism and slope instability; 2) an onland excursion on peculiar aspects of the products related to Ischia more recent period of volcanic activity; 3) a route focusing on the Mt. Epomeo Green Tuff caldera forming eruptions (55-60 ka), encouraging a discussion on the dynamics of the intracalderic resurgence and the geomorphological evolution of the Mt. Epomeo slopes, with ongoing Mass Rock Creep (MRC) processes culminating in rockavalanche, debris-avalanche and lahar deposits

Obsidian from the Site of Piano dei Cardoni, Ustica (Palermo, Italy): Preliminary Results on the First Occupation of the Island

Abstract New investigations on Ustica (Palermo, Sicily) originated from the need to improve our knowledge of the island's archaeological and environmental heritage. Through field surveys, particular attention was paid to human occupation in the Neolithic phases and focused on the less investigated southern side of the island. The systematic survey of the area of Piano dei Cardoni in 2018 brought to light a new Middle/Late Neolithic site, already partially documented in the literature. The island was settled for the first time during these phases, as also testified from the area of Punta Spalmatore. The presence of Serra d'Alto, incised dark burnished, and Diana styles suggests that the site and the archaeological assemblage dates from the mid to late 5th millennium BC, as confirmed by AMS dating. In addition to pottery, obsidian artifacts were also recovered, and a preliminary study of these materials is presented here. Portable XRF analyses on a sample of 41 obsidian artifacts, representing a high percentage of the lithic assemblage compared to chert tools, show that the provenance of the raw material is Gabellotto Gorge (Lipari) and Balata dei Turchi (Pantelleria). These results provide new insight into broader regional debates about obsidian technology and its exchange during the Neolithic and open an important consideration for sites that are far from the raw material sources

Application of structure from motion photogrammetry to multi-temporal geomorphological analyses: case studies from Italy and Spain

The study of the geomorphological evolution of landscapes is one of the most important tasks needed for assessing the natural and man-made geohazards and risks affecting a territory. In the last two decades, instrumental and computational advances have allowed the development of effective remote sensing methodologies, such as those based on Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Interferometry or change detection techniques (Tomás & Li, 2017). These techniques have enhanced the possibilities of making geomorphic observations and modelling. Specifically, Earth Observations (EO) techniques using airborne or satellite platforms have increased the ability to map and monitor geomorphological processes. In such a framework, historical landscape data, such as those available from aerial photographs taken since the early 1940s, are key instruments for studying the geomorphological evolution of a territory. In this work, the application of the Structure from Motion (SfM) technique to analyse the geomorphological evolution of sample areas by historical aerial photos is tested, examined, and discussed. Towards this aim, multi-temporal analysis by means of three-dimensional (3D) land models of four test areas reconstructed through the application of the SfM technique using available aerial images was performed. Although it is well known that SfM requires a considerable number of digital images and a significant overlap between them, the challenge of this approach was to reconstruct 3D land models using a reduced set of analogical aerial photos for satisfactory results. The resulting 3D reconstructions succeeded in recognizing and studying the geomorphological evolution of the test areas, represented by: a) a region in southern Italy affected by landslides; b) a territory in central Italy affected by badland-type intense erosional phenomena; c) a sector in northwestern Italy with open-pit mining activity; and d) a coastal zone affected by changes in its coastline. Despite some disadvantages that arose during the application of the SfM technique, the proposed methodology has been shown to be useful for geomorphological analysis. This can be considered an alternative to the use of analogical and digital stereoscopic techniques to recognize geomorphological shapes and analyse Earth surface evolution and the effects of different anthropic activities.Part of this work was supported by the University of Alicante (vigrob-157 Project, GRE14-04 Project and GRE15-19 Project), the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINECO), the State Agency of Research (AEI) and the European Funds for Regional Development (FEDER) (projects TEC2017-85244-C2-1-P, ESP2013-47780-C2-2-R and TIN2014-55413-C2-2-P) and the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (project PRX17/00439)

Materials and Tools across Volcanoes: Exploitation of Georesources in Piano dei Cardoni (Ustica, Italy) during Prehistory.

The paper aims at merging the first results from the analyses of the georesources exploited in the site of Piano dei Cardoni (Ustica island, Italy) during the Neolithic phases of its occupation (MiddleLate Neolithic, 4.7-4.2 ka cal BC). Grinding tools consist of a very varied typology of local volcanic rocks, easy to collect and available very close to the investigated site. A selection of shapes and lithology is applied to reach the best performance of the tools. The elevated number of grinders, pestles, mortars testify to an intense activity of food/plant processing in the site. The absence of chert or obsidian resources on the island pushed the human communities to import such raw materials from the Aeolian islands and probably from the north-western area of Palermo. Pumice is collected on the same island, probably due to the local availability and its good quality. Similarly, local clay resources are used for the manufacture of ceramics, mostly burnished and incised wares. Ustica was therefore almost autonomous for the exploitation of resources, with volcanic rocks readily available in abundance and with the most significant exception being chert and obsidian. This last one probably imported and worked on the island and then moved towards North-Western Sicil

A multi-methodological approach to record dynamics and timescales of the plumbing system of Zaro (Ischia Island, Italy)

Determining the time spans of processes related to the assembly of eruptible magma at active volcanoes is fundamental to understand magma chamber dynamics and assess volcanic hazard. This information can be recorded in the chemical zoning of crystals. Nevertheless, this kind of study is still poorly employed for the active volcanoes of the Neapolitan area (Southern Italy), in particular, for Ischia island where the risk is extremely high and this information can provide the basis for probabilistic volcanic hazard assessment. For these reasons, we acquired chemical composition on clinopyroxene crystals erupted at Ischia during the Zaro eruption (6.6 ± 2.2 ka) and performed numerical simulations of the input of mafic magma into a trachytic reservoir, in order to investigate various aspects of pre-eruptive dynamics occurring at different timescales. This event emplaced a ~ 0.1 km3 lava complex, in which the main trachytic lava flows host abundant mafic to felsic enclaves. Previous petrological investigation suggested that mafic magma(s) mixed/mingled with a trachytic one, before the eruption. In this work, the clinopyroxene zoning patterns depict the growth of crystals in different magmatic environments, recording sequential changes occurred in the plumbing system before the eruption. The evolution of the plumbing system involved a hierarchy of timescales: a few hours for magma mingling caused by mafic recharge(s) and likely occurred multiple times over a decade during which a dominant magmatic environment was sustained before the eruption. Such timescales must be considered in volcanic hazard assessment at Ischia and similar active volcanoes in densely populated areas

Preliminary analysis of site effects in the Ischia island: new insights from md 4.0 earthquake of 21 august 2017 and seismic noise data

On August 21, 2017, at 18:57 UTC, an earthquake of MD 4.0 occurred in Casamicciola, district of Ischia island. The damage caused by the earthquake was massive, with two victims and several buildings collapsed, and circumscribed to the areas of uptown Casamicciola, particularly in the Piazza Maio-La Rita area, and in a small area, called Fango, in Lacco Ameno. Medium and minor damages occurred in Piazza Bagni, in the area around the town hall of Casamicciola and in the Sentinella area. Even assuming the poor quality constructions and/or not in compliance with the anti-seismic regulations, such a level of damage has induced the scientific community to analyse the effects of local site amplifications, that usually are not negligible in volcanic areas. As a matter of fact the seismic station IOCA, located very close to the high damage areas, recorded a peak ground acceleration (PGA) of 2.6 m/s2. This paper is aimed to study the possible site amplification in the areas heavily affected by the August 21 earthquake in order to better understand the causes of these macroseismic effects and high damage levels already observed in the past.PublishedCentro Congressi della Stazione Marittima, Trieste, Italy6V. Pericolosità vulcanica e contributi alla stima del rischi

Disseminating the knowledge on the complex interactions between humans and volcanoes: the geological section of the Villa Arbusto archaeological museum at Lacco Ameno (Ischia, Naples - Italy)

A room in the Archaeological Museum of Villa Arbusto (Lacco Ameno, Ischia) was set up to house rocks and fossils collected by the renowned archaeologist Giorgio Buchner during his excavation activity on the Island of Ischia. The collection is witness to a long multidisciplinary research activity that saw archaeological studies at the center of volcanological, pedological and palaeoenvironmental researches, aimed at reconstructing the archaeological contexts in the complex geological dynamics of the island. In fact, during the different phases of colonization recorded on the island, the Ischia volcanoes were very active and produced explosive and effusive eruptions, accompanied by a strong geological dynamics that included earthquakes, landslides (even gigantic ones), rapid ground uplift and strong hydrothermal activity. In the room, the samples on display "tell" the evolution of the island and its dynamics in four windows and a chest of drawers, where there is an exposition of the products of the various eruptions, from the oldest to the most recent, sedimentary rocks and the collection of macro and microfossils found in marine sediments, displaced at variable altitudes by the rapid volcano-tectonic deformations that characterize the island. A series of panels and monitors accompany the visitor along a path that, starting from the geological evolution of the island, passes through the relationship between humans and the volcano, the main volcanic phenomena and the reconstruction of an archaeological excavation of exceptional value, where it is possible to see the strong interaction between primary and secondary volcanic phenomena and a human settlement of the first Greek colony in the west: Pithecusae. The exhibition was designed with the purpose of educating the visitors and the local population about the natural history of the island and its volcanoes, and their impact on the human life through time

Multisource data integration to investigate one century of evolution for the Agnone landslide (Molise, southern Italy)

Landslides are one of the most relevant geohazards worldwide, causing direct and indirect costs and fatalities. Italy is one of the countries most affected by mass movements, and the Molise region, southern Italy, is known to be susceptible to erosional processes and landslides. In January 2003, a landslide in the municipality of Agnone, in the Colle Lapponi-Piano Ovetta (CL-PO) territory, occurred causing substantial damage to both structures and civil infrastructure. To investigate the evolution of the landslide-affected catchment over approximately one century, different data were taken into account: (i) literature information at the beginning of the twentieth century; (ii) historical sets of aerial optical photographs to analyse the geomorphological evolution from 1945 to 2003; (iii) SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) data from the ERS1/2, ENVISAT and COSMO-SkyMed satellites to monitor the displacement from 1992 to 2015; (iv) traditional measurements carried out through geological and geomorphological surveys, inclinometers and GPS campaigns to characterize the geological setting of the area; and (v) recent optical photographs of the catchment area to determine the enlargement of the landslide. Using the structure from motion technique, a 3D reconstruction of each set of historical aerial photographs was made to investigate the geomorphological evolution and to trace the boundary of the mass movements. As a result, the combination of multitemporal and multitechnique analysis of the evolution of the CL-PO landslide enabled an assessment of the landslide expansion, which resulted in a maximum length of up to approximately 1500 m. A complete investigation of the past and present deformational sequences of the area was performed to potentially plan further mitigation and prevention strategies to avoid possible reactivations.This work was partially funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MINECO); the State Agency of Research (AEI); and the European Funds for Regional Development (FEDER) under projects TEC2017-85244-C2-1-P and TIN2014-55413-C2-2-P and the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport under project PRX17/00439

Analysis of tourism in Campania as a tool for the development of high-quality cultural services for sightseers: The “Reale Osservatorio Vesuviano” case history

The purpose of this work is to identify the guidelines for the development and diversification of the cultural touristic offer achievable at the Reale Osservatorio Vesuviano (ROV). Founded in 1841, it is the oldest volcano observatory in the world and it has always had the vocation for scientific-naturalistic and formative tourism. The present study investigates the connections between the sociology of tourism and the ROV’s sustainability and competitiveness as a tourist destination. Here it is performed a study of the tourist flow, based on the sociology of tourism and on the correct processing of data sets, distinguishing the ''statistical information on tourism" from "tourism statistics", as such a study is the basis of a proper market strategy in different sectors. Tourism remains, in fact, an important phenomenon in world economy: despite the economic crisis of recent years, international tourist arrivals show a positive development of the trend in all the major sub-areas into which the large international areas are traditionally divided. The principles for a future marketing plan were outlined after collecting all the relevant information. The plan was designed to enhance the overall touristic offer of the ROV, never ceasing to consider the integration of natural- scientific aspects and cultural events to be offered within the observatory itself.Published64-872TM. Divulgazione Scientifica6TM. Poli Museali1VV. AltroN/A or not JC

Review of multiple hazards in volcanic islands to enable the management of long-term risks: the cases of Ischia and Vulcano, Italy

The management of long-term volcanic risks represents a challenge that requires a close cooperation between science and decision-making. This is particularly crucial in volcanic islands, which are characterized by multiple hazards concentrated in a relatively small environment, often associated with a large seasonality of exposure due to tourism. The scientific challenges are mainly the quantification and the characterization of the interactions among the multiple hazardous phenomena that may occur during the different “states of thevolcano” (quiescence, unrest, eruption) and the definition of robust methods to forecast the transition between these states. For these topics, the emerging scientific knowledge is often rather limited and uncertain and, also in case it was well constrained, difficult to communicate to decision makers due to its intrinsic complexity. On the other side, the challenge for decision making is to assimilate this uncertain knowledgeand translate it into actions. Here, we discuss the experience gained in two working groups (WGs) in charge of reviewing the state of knowledge about volcanic hazards for the Italian volcanic islands of Ischia and Vulcano to build the scientific ground for subsequent decision making. These WGs, formed within the agreement between INGV and the Italian Civil Protection Department, involved about 20 researchers from INGV and Universities, as well as representatives of the Italian Civil Protection, to facilitate the reciprocal understanding and to address the work toward useful results for decision making. The WGs reviewed all the potential volcanic hazards for Ischia and Vulcano based on literature, results of previous projects, as well as ad hoc audits of other experts on specific topics, and organized a workshop to present the results and receive feedbacks from the extended scientific community