Search Results (23)

The Aeolian Archipelago, located in the southern margin of the Tyrrhenian Sea, is a key area to investigate the interplay between regional active fault systems and volcanic activity, making it a focal point for geodynamic studies. In particular, Salina Island lies at the intersection of two major tectonic structures: the Sisifo–Alicudi fault system in the western sector and the Aeolian–Tindari–Letojanni fault system in the central sector both exert a significant influence on the region’s deformation patterns. Detecting these signals requires high-quality GNSS data, yet the performance of newly installed stations in tectonic environments must be rigorously assessed. Between June 2023 and February 2024, a new continuous local GNSS network, which consists of five stations, Salin@Net, was established, on Salina Island. The central scientific objective of this study is to verify whether the new GNSS network achieves the data quality necessary for reliable geodetic monitoring and to evaluate its potential to resolve strain gradients in the area. We performed an extensive performance analysis of Salin@net GNSS stations, analyzing data quality, encompassing assessments of multipath effect, signal-to-noise ratio, observation continuity, and cycle slip occurrences, alongside GNSS position time series. These metrics were compared against the ISAL-RING station and benchmarked International GNSS Service (IGS) standards. Results show that the newly installed stations consistently meet the required standards, delivering robust and reliable measurements that are comparable to those of the RING GNSS continuous network. Positioning time series, processed in the ITRF14, indicate that the precision of the derived velocity estimates is comparable to that of standard continuous stations, although longer time spans are required to better constrain linear velocity estimates. Finally, spherical wavelet analysis demonstrates that the geometry of Salin@net significantly improves the spatial resolution of the strain field across the Aeolian–Tindari–Letojanni fault system and enhances resolution along the Sisifo–Alicudi fault, underscoring the role of dense, small-aperture GNSS networks in tectonic environment. Full article

Gases emitted from active volcanic systems constitute a primary natural source of global atmospheric pollution. Atmospheric sulfur dioxide (SO₂) concentrations were monitored using a near-continuous network based on Scan-DOAS (Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy) technology. Complementary intermittent measurements were performed using a UV Thermo^® analyzer deployed at fixed locations and along predefined transects on the island. SO₂ flux data derived from the Scan-DOAS measurements, coupled with atmospheric dispersion maps generated using the AERMOD modeling software, enabled the estimation of SO₂ distribution across the volcanic crater region and inhabited areas of the island, including Vulcano Village and Vulcano Piano. The results of the estimation of SO₂ concentration in the atmosphere, integrated with the dispersion modeling, exhibited consistency with direct SO₂ concentration measurements obtained by the Thermo^® analyzer, demonstrating coherence between the two methodologies, although some overestimations of ambient SO₂ were noted. This study provided valuable insights into areas with anomalous SO₂ concentrations exceeding the threshold limits established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union (EU). These limits are generally exceeded in the crater zone and surrounding areas. The findings also highlighted the influence of prevailing winds and the temporal variations in volcanic degassing activity observed over the preceding 17 years, characterized by four periods of unrest degassing with SO₂ emission rates from the summit solfataric area reaching up to 250 tonnes per day (td⁻¹). Full article

This study examines the mineral composition of volcanic samples similar to lunar materials, focusing on olivine and pyroxene. Using hyperspectral imaging (HSI) from 400 to 1000 nm, we created data cubes to analyze the reflectance characteristics of samples from Vulcano, a volcanically active island in the Aeolian archipelago, north of Sicily, Italy, categorizing them into nine regions of interest (ROIs) and analyzing spectral data for each. We applied various unsupervised clustering algorithms, including K-Means, hierarchical clustering, Gaussian mixture models (GMMs), and spectral clustering, to classify the spectral profiles. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed distinct spectral signatures associated with specific minerals, facilitating precise identification. The clustering performance varied by region, with K-Means achieving the highest silhouette score of 0.47, whereas GMMs performed poorly with a score of only 0.25. Non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) aided in identifying similarities among clusters across different methods and reference spectra for olivine and pyroxene. Hierarchical clustering emerged as the most reliable technique, achieving a 94% similarity with the olivine spectrum in one sample, whereas GMMs exhibited notable variability. Overall, the analysis indicated that both the hierarchical and K-Means methods yielded lower errors in total measurements, with K-Means demonstrating superior performance in estimated dispersion and clustering. Additionally, GMMs showed a higher root mean square error (RMSE) compared to the other models. The RMSE analysis confirmed K-Means as the most consistent algorithm across all samples, suggesting a predominance of olivine in the Vulcano region relative to pyroxene. This predominance is likely linked to historical formation conditions similar to volcanic processes on the Moon, where olivine-rich compositions are common in ancient lava flows and impact-melt rocks. These findings provide a deeper context for mineral distribution and formation processes in volcanic landscapes. Full article

(1) While photo-identification has been used to study sperm whales worldwide, no long-term photo-id studies are available from the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea for the Mediterranean endangered population. (2) Here, sperm whale occurrence, group size, and the type of encounters were investigated around the Aeolian archipelago (Southern Italy) by photo-ID data collected between 2013 and 2024. Data were obtained through dedicated boat surveys and recreational sailors’ reports. (3) During 58 sighting events, 125 sperm whales were encountered, 60 of whom were photo-identified and cataloged. Of these, two sperm whales were found entangled. Only five individuals were re-sighted in later years or seasons. Encounters were more frequent in autumn, consisting mainly of solitary individuals (53.4%, n = 31) and aggregations of clustered, often not sexed, animals (23.5%, n = 8). Social units of females and calves were also encountered (8.6%, n = 5). (4) The low site fidelity and the group types encountered suggest that dispersed young males and social groups could use the area simultaneously. (4) Future matching of these data with databases from other surveyed areas, acoustic surveys, and enhanced analysis of age classes are crucial to better define the ecological role of the study area for the Mediterranean sperm whale population. Full article

The present work describes the first results of the project “Lipari Obsidian and Neolithic Human Communities in the Aeolian Islands”, which aims to study the connection between obsidian sources on the island of Lipari and Neolithic populations on the Aeolian archipelago in Italy. Obsidian is a natural volcanic glass used to produce chipped tools; in the Neolithic period it was the sharpest known material and its trade played an important role in the Mediterranean area. It is thus of particular interest for tracing prehistoric trading patterns. Indeed, Lipari obsidian has a wide distribution and has been found even in southern France, Dalmatia, Sicily and mainland Italy. To reach the project goal, we considered both raw materials from different obsidian geological samples and artefacts from Neolithic settlements on the Aeolian islands, and performed fission-track dating (FT), a radiometric technique that can be used for uranium-bearing minerals and glasses. The preliminary results facilitated the age determination of geological samples, which we could relate to the different eruption phases. Archaeological samples were also dated; their link with the studied volcanic deposits and lava flows made it possible to shed some new light on raw material procurement and on the ability of the Neolithic populations to move from their locations, with particular attention to the consequences of environmental features on the first human settlements on the Aeolian islands. Full article

Marine hydrothermal ecosystems represent extreme environments connected to submarine volcanic areas characterized by vents, having high temperatures and particular chemical compositions. The hydrothermal marine system of Panarea, located in one of the seven small islands belonging to the Aeolian Archipelago (southern Tyrrhenian Sea), is characterized by a range of vents exhibiting diverse physical and chemical conditions. We aimed to analyze the microbial community of a peculiar hot spring belonging to the Panarea hydrothermal field, known as “Black Point” (BP), in two separate sampling expeditions (May and August). Our results demonstrated that the chemical–physical variations within this hydrothermal vent, such as temperature fluctuations, mineral content, and hydrothermal fluid dynamics, play a role in shaping the structure and diversity of microbial communities. The differences between the two sampling expeditions suggest that seasonal changes, i.e., in temperature, pH, and redox potential (Eh), could drive microbial community shifts over time. Full article

This study explored, for the first time, the chemical composition and in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial activities of a caper leaf essential oil (EO) emulsion for possible food applications as a natural preservative. The EO was extracted by hydrodistillation from the leaves of Capparis spinosa growing wild in the Aeolian Archipelago (Sicily, Italy) and exhibited a pungent, sulphurous odour. The volatile fraction of the emulsion, analysed by SPME-GC-MS, consisted of over 100 compounds and was dominated by compounds with recognised antibacterial and antioxidant properties, namely dimethyl tetrasulfide (18.41%), dimethyl trisulfide (12.58%), methyl isothiocyanate (7.97%), and terpinen-4-ol (6.76%). The emulsion was effective against all bacterial strains tested (Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis, Pseudomonas fluorescens), with L. monocytogenes exhibiting the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC = 0.02 mg/mL) while E. coli had the highest (MIC = 0.06 mg/mL). The emulsion had a good DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazine) radical scavenging activity that was dose-dependent and equal to 42.98% at the 0.08 mg/mL level with an IC₅₀ value of 0.099 mg/mL. Based on the results, the caper leaf EO emulsion has the potential to be proposed as a natural alternative to chemical preservatives in the food industry. Full article

This study explored the biodiversity of Fucales along the islands of Lipari and Vulcano, almost ten years after the last studies on the phytobenthos of these islands. To carry out this research, a monitoring activity was conducted through both scuba dives and snorkelling activities. Through this study, a total of 13 species (four belonging to Cystoseira, three to Ericaria, two to Gongolaria, and four to Sargassum) was observed. When comparing the present data with past studies, nine species were previously reported, ten taxa were not found in the present study, and four taxa were reported here for the first time in the Aeolian Archipelago. The alpha (local) diversity was higher in Vulcano than in Lipari. Moreover, the beta (turnover) diversity showed a different assemblage in species grouping between the two islands. Since some of the observed species are currently considered rare or in regression, their finding in the Aeolian Archipelago is of particular interest. Therefore, they should receive special consideration, particularly in light of the possible future establishment of a marine protected area (MPA) in the Aeolian Archipelago. Full article

Stromboli is an open-conduit active volcano located in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea and is the easternmost island of the Aeolian Archipelago. It is known as “the lighthouse of the Mediterranean” for its continuous and mild Strombolian-type explosive activity, occurring at the summit craters. Sometimes the volcano undergoes more intense explosions, called “major explosions” if they affect just the summit above 500 m a.s.l. or “paroxysms” if the whole island is threatened. Effusive eruptions are less frequent, normally occurring every 3–5 years, and may be accompanied or preceded by landslides, crater collapses and tsunamis. Given the small size of the island (maximum diameter of 5 km, NE–SW) and the consequent proximity of the inhabited areas to the active craters (maximum distance 2.5 km), it is of paramount importance to use all available information to forecast the volcano’s eruptive activity. The availability of a detailed record of the volcano’s eruptive activity spanning some centuries has prompted evaluations on its possible short-term evolution. The aim of this paper is to present some statistical insights on the eruptive activity at Stromboli using a catalogue dating back to 1879 and reviewed for the events during the last two decades. Our results confirm the recent trend of a significant increase in major explosions, small lava flows and summit crater collapses at the volcano, and might help monitoring research institutions and stakeholders to evaluate volcanic hazards from eruptive activity at this and possibly other open-vent active basaltic volcanoes. Full article

Freight transportation in urban areas represents an essential activity from the standpoint of economic development; in recent years, the spread of e-commerce (also accelerated by COVID-19) has contributed to increasing the demand for freight distribution over short distances. In most cities, the approaches and measures are often based on new technologies. Nevertheless, today there are contexts wherein delivery operations represent critical tasks to be solved. Furthermore, low accessibility areas, such as small islands, present further problems due to their exclusive dependence on maritime links (and often low-reliability services). This paper tackles this topic, formulating and solving a distribution problem by linking shipping services with last-mile distribution operated by means of an automatic delivery service (parcel lockers). A test application is proposed by considering the small island of Lipari in the archipelago of the Aeolian islands (Sicily, Southern Italy). The results show that such a type of service could reduce the user’s waiting time when compared to traditional home deliveries. Full article

The re-mobilization of volcaniclastic material poses a hazard factor which, although it decreases with time since the last eruption, remains present in the hydrographic basins of volcanic areas. Herein, we present the results of the numerical modelling of erosive phenomena of volcanic deposits, as well as of flooding in the volcanic area. The proposed approach includes runoff estimation, land use analysis, and the application of hydraulic and erosion modelling. It exploits the Iber software, a widely used and validated model for rainfall-runoff, river flooding, and erosion and sediment transport modelling. The methodology was applied to the Island of Vulcano (Italy), known for the erosion phenomena that affect the slopes of one of its volcanic cones (La Fossa cone). The rainfall excess was calculated using a 19-year dataset of hourly precipitations, and the curve number expressed by the information on soil cover in the area, derived from the land cover and land use analysis. The erosion and flow models were performed considering different rainfall scenarios. Results show a particularly strong erosion, with thicknesses greater than 0.4 m. This is consistent with field observations, in particular with some detailed data collected both after intense events and by long-term observation. Results of the hydraulic simulations show that moderate and torrential rainfall scenarios can lead to flood levels between 0.2 and 0.6 m, which mostly affect the harbours located in the island’s inhabited area. Full article

Galician Rias are fluvial valleys that were flooded during the last marine transgression in the Atlantic margin. The study of fossil dunes in the Cies Islands, a small archipelago in the mouth of the one of the rias (Ria de Vigo), allowed us to reconstruct the coastal evolution from the end of the Late Pleistocene to the present day. During this period, sea-level was 100 metres below the present one and the shoreline located about 5–10 kilometres away. About 15,000 years ago, sea-level rise began, radically modifying the coastline. This started with a gradual advance of large dune fields on both sides of the valley. The aeolian accretion continued until the Late Holocene, finishing when the sea reached its present level. Full article

Vulcano belongs to the seven volcanic islands forming the Aeolian archipelago (Italy) and has the privilege to define an eruptive style as “Vulcanian”. It has to be considered as an active volcano as its most recent activity demonstrated. Starting by late spring 2021, the thermal state of the Vulcano summit area changed and the gas emission increased. During the summer and, in particular, starting from September, geophysical and geochemical signals, precisely those linked to the activity of the hydrothermal system that feeds the fumaroles of the Fossa crater, varied. The temperature of the gases emitted by the fumaroles on the crater rim has increased and the composition of the gases has showed an increase in CO₂ and SO₂ (carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide) concentration. For such reasons, the authors decided to follow this event by analyzing the remotely sensed available data suitable for detecting changes in thermal state. By processing the TIRS (Landsat 8) and ASTER time series, two long-term surface temperature logs were obtained and, therefore, by adopting a statistical approach, an analysis in both space and time domains has emphasized a thermal signature since mid-September 2021. Full article

Lipari is the largest and most populated island in the Aeolian Archipelago, a UNESCO site, and a highly frequented touristic destination. As in many other insular settings, the low-lying coastal stretches in the E and NE sectors of Lipari are locally exposed to coastal erosion and flooding, enhanced by subsidence effects leading to local sea level rise. Most of these coastal sectors appear critical, being narrow and increasingly threatened by the risk of permanent inundation and beach disappearance. In this study, this setting is placed in the wider context of the decadal evolution of the main beaches, analysed through a multidisciplinary approach, which includes remote sensing techniques (aero-photogrammetry, unmanned aerial vehicle survey, and satellite data), offshore geophysical surveys (high-resolution multibeam bathymetry), and field observations. The results show a variable interaction in space and time between natural and anthropogenic factors in the long- and mid-term evolution of the studied coastal areas. Considering that part of the local economy at Lipari depends on beach tourism, proper future management is required in the view of natural risk reduction and in the light of future climate changes and related impacts. Full article

The Aeolian Islands (Italy) are a volcanic archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea comprising seven main islands, among which are two active volcanoes. The peculiar geological features and the wide variety of environments and soils have an important impact on native plants, and in particular, the Aeolian populations of Dactylis glomerata (a perennial cool-season bunchgrass) exhibit remarkable phenotypic variability. Considering that environmental drivers also strongly affect the production of plant metabolites, this work aimed at comparing the metabolomic profiles of D. glomerata (leaves) harvested at different altitudes on four islands of the Aeolian archipelago, namely: Lipari, Vulcano, Stromboli and Panarea. Samples were analyzed by ¹H NMR profiling, and data were treated by PCA. Samples collected on Stromboli were very different from each other and from the samples collected in the other islands. Through an Orthogonal Partial Least Squares (OPLS) model, using altitude as the y variable, it emerged that the concentration of proline, glycine betaine, sucrose, glucose and chlorogenic acid of D. glomerata growing on Stromboli decreased at increasing altitude. Conversely, increasing altitude was associated with an increment in valine, asparagine, fumaric acid and phenylalanine. Full article