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From January 2011 to December 2015, Mt. Etna was mainly characterized by a cyclic eruptive behavior with more than 40 lava fountains from New South-East Crater. Using the RMS (Root Mean Square) of the seismic signal recorded by stations close to the summit area, an automatic recognition of the different states of volcanic activity (QUIET, PRE-FOUNTAIN, FOUNTAIN, POST-FOUNTAIN) has been applied for monitoring purposes. Since values of the RMS time series calculated on the seismic signal are generated from a stochastic process, we can try to model the system generating its sampled values, assumed to be a Markov process, using Hidden Markov Models (HMMs). HMMs analysis seeks to recover the sequence of hidden states from the observations. In our framework, observations are characters generated by the Symbolic Aggregate approXimation (SAX) technique, which maps RMS time series values with symbols of a pre-defined alphabet. The main advantages of the proposed framework, based on HMMs and SAX, with respect to other automatic systems applied on seismic signals at Mt. Etna, are the use of multiple stations and static thresholds to well characterize the volcano states. Its application on a wide seismic dataset of Etna volcano shows the possibility to guess the volcano states. The experimental results show that, in most of the cases, we detected lava fountains in advance.

Between 2011 and 2013, there were 43 lava fountain episodes from Mount Etna's New South-East summit crater (NSEC). In 2014, this intense activity was supplanted by sporadic Strombolian explosions and the opening of an eruptive fissure between July and August. The only lava fountaining episode of the year occurred on 28 December; this was characterized by the emplacement of a shallow dike that, at the surface, fed two distinct lava flows from an ENE-WSW trending eruptive fissure. Here we provide a detailed picture of the onset of the dike emplacement, as well as the mechanism driving its migration, using a multidisciplinary data set based on seismic, geodetic, geochemical, and volcanological observations. The dike emplacement was preceded by a pressurization of the magmatic plumbing system recorded from August 2014 on. This pressurization has been modeled as a vertically elongated magmatic source located beneath the summit craters at ~4.5 km below sea level. From September to October, magma rising was also detected by seismic and geochemical data that highlighted pressurization of the shallower portion of the plumbing system. We suggest that the 28 December 2014 dike emplacement resulted from a modification of the preexisting NSEC shallow plumbing system, largely due to drainage of the main shallow conduit during the July–August 2014 eruptive fissure activity. Such a structural modification might have created the conditions for magma emplacement as a dike-like structure.

On active volcanoes, ambient noise-based seismic interferometry can be a very useful monitoring tool as it allows to detect very slight variations in seismic velocity associated with magma transported toward the surface. However, the classical cross-station approach occasionally fails to detect seismic velocity changes related to eruptive activity, even on very active, well-instrumented volcanoes such as Mt. Etna. In this work, we explored an improved ambient noise-based monitoring strategy by performing the autocorrelation of seismic noise recorded at Mt. Etna volcano, by three stations located close to the active summit craters, during April 2013-October 2014. Such an interval was chosen because of the number and variety of eruptions. In place of the classical cross-correlation, we implemented the phase cross-correlation of each component with itself, which does not require normalization of the signals. The detected seismic velocity variations were very consistent for all three stations throughout the study period, mainly ranging between 0.3 and -0.2%, and were time-related to both sequences of paroxysmal eruptions and more effusive activities. In particular, we observed seismic velocity decreases accompanying paroxysmal eruptions, suggesting an intense pressurization within the plumbing system, which created an area of extensional strain with crack openings. In addition, seismic velocity variations over time were analyzed in the light of ground deformation data recorded by GPS stations and volcanic tremor centroid locations and displayed a particularly strong correlation with the former. Finally, we showed that, although the investigated frequency band (1-2 Hz) contained most of the volcanic tremor energy, our results did not indicate a particular contamination of seismic velocity variation measurements by variations of tremor sources. Ultimately, our investigation highlights a better way to implement noise-based seismic monitoring techniques. The near-field sensitivity of the autocorrelation helped improve our understanding of the relationship between variations of seismic velocity, ground deformation and the pressurization dynamics of volcanic plumbing systems which, in turn, allows for better monitoring implementations of seismic interferometry on other volcanoes.

European FP7 MED-SUV (MEditerranean SUpersite Volcanoes). Grant Number: 308665 European Research Council European FP7 (FP/2007-2013)/ERC. Grant Number: 279802 SIGMA (Sistema Integrato di sensori in ambiente cloud per la Gestione Multirischio Avanzata)

On 5 July 2014, an eruptive fissure opened on the eastern flank of Etna volcano (Italy) at ~3.000 m a.s.l. Strombolian activity and lava effusion occurred simultaneously at two neighbouring vents. In the following weeks, eruptive activity led to the build-up of two cones, tens of meters high, here named Crater N and Crater S. To characterize the short-term (days) dynamics of this multi-vent system, we performed a multi-parametric investigation by means of a dense instrumental network. The experimental setup, deployed on July 15-16th at ca. 300 m from the eruption site, comprised two broadband seismometers and three microphones as well as high speed video and thermal cameras. Thermal analyses enabled us to characterize the style of eruptive activity at each vent. In particular, explosive activity at Crater N featured higher thermal amplitudes and a lower explosion frequency than at Crater S. Several episodes of switching between puffing and Strombolian activity were noted at Crater S through both visual observation and thermal data; oppositely, Crater N exhibited a quasi-periodic activity. The quantification of the eruptive style of each vent enabled us to infer the geometry of the eruptive system: a branched conduit, prone to rapid changes of gas flux accommodated at the most inclined conduit (i.e. Crater S). Accordingly, we were able to correctly interpret acoustic data and thereby extend the characterization of this twovent system., 10 figures

A challenging objective of modern volcanology is to quantitatively characterize eruptive/degassing regimes from geophysical signals (in particular seismic and infrasonic), for both research and monitoring purposes. However, the outcomes of the attempts made so far are still considered very uncertain because volcanoes remain inaccessible when deriving quantitative information on crucial parameters such as plumbing system geometry and magma viscosity. In order to improve our knowledge of volcanic systems, a novel experimental device, which is capable of mimicking volcanic degassing processes with different regimes and gas flow rates, and allowing for the investigation of the related seismo-acoustic emissions, was designed and developed. The benefits of integrating observations on real volcanoes with seismo-acoustic signals generated in laboratory are many and include (i) the possibility to fix the controlling parameters such as the geometry of the structure where the gas flows, the gas flow rate, and the fluid viscosity; (ii) the possibility of performing acoustic measurements at different azimuthal and zenithal angles around the opening of the analog conduit, hence constraining the radiation pattern of different acoustic sources; (iii) the possibility to measure micro-seismic signals in distinct points of the analog conduit; (iv) finally, thanks to the transparent structure, it is possible to directly observe the degassing pattern through the optically clear analog magma and define the degassing regime producing the seismo-acoustic radiations. The above-described device represents a step forward in the analog volcano seismo-acoustic measurements.

Programma Nazionale Ricerche . Grant Number: PNRA14_00011 University of Catania FIR 2014 . Grant Numbers: 2F119B , PRA 2016‐18 , 22722132120

In this study, laboratory and GPR water content measurements on two sandy soils are compared. A robust procedure to constrain GPR surveys is provided, aiming to obtain accurate and reliable soil moisture information at the field scale. The application of the well-known Topp’s equation, provided good results only for water contents (θv) from 5 to 17%. Therefore, integrated analyses are mandatory to better understand the subsurface structures and the water content pattern in unsaturated zones. Data and results here presented represent the first reference for typical sandy soils outcropping in Central Italy, providing solid constraints for engineering and hydrogeological applications.

We analysed volcanic tremor recorded during ten lava fountain eruptions at Mount Etna volcano over the second half of 2011. The seis- mic signal, recorded by a network of 19 broadband stations, was corrected for site effects. The site amplification factors obtained for all the seismic stations were calculated using 18 regional earthquakes. To quantitatively estimate the goodness of the site correction, the vol- canic tremor source locations obtained by using site corrections were compared with those performed without such corrections. The seismic signal was filtered in two different frequency bands before applying correction: (i) the band 1-2 Hz, which contains most of the tremor energy, and (ii) the band 5-10 Hz, in which, likely due to scattering phenomena, the assumption of isotropic radiation behind the volcanic tremor source location method is valid. The results revealed that the seismic signal correction for site effects improved the tremor location results. Such improved tremor locations, together with volcanological and geodetic data, allowed us to identify two dis- tinct periods characterised by different tremor locations during lava fountains (July - August 20 and August 20 - November 15). Such differences were probably due to magma recharge phenomena, taking place during the former period.

[1] Since the second half of the 1990s, the eruptive activity of Mount Etna has provided evidence that both explosive and effusive eruptions display periodic variations in discharge and eruption style. In this work, a multiparametric approach, consisting of comparing volcanological, geophysical, and geochemical data, was applied to explore the volcano's dynamics during 2009–2011. In particular, temporal and/or spatial variations of seismicity (volcano-tectonic earthquakes, volcanic tremor, and long-period and very long period events), ground deformation (GPS and tiltmeter data), and geochemistry (SO2 flux, CO2 flux, CO2/SO2 ratio) were studied to understand the volcanic activity, as well as to investigate magma movement in both deep and shallow portions of the plumbing system, feeding the 2011 eruptive period. After the volcano deflation, accompanying the onset of the 2008–2009 eruption, a new recharging phase began in August 2008. This new volcanic cycle evolved from an initial recharge phase of the intermediate-shallower plumbing system and inflation, followed by (i) accelerated displacement in the volcano's eastern flank since April 2009 and (ii) renewal of summit volcanic activity during the second half of 2010, culminating in 2011 in a cyclic eruptive behavior with 18 lava fountains from New Southeast Crater (NSEC). Furthermore, supported by the geochemical data, the inversion of ground deformation GPS data and the locations of the tremor sources are used here to constrain both the area and the depth range of magma degassing, allowing reconstructing the intermediate and shallow storage zones feeding the 2011 cyclic fountaining NSEC activity.

On 13 May 2008, an eruption began at Mt. Etna from an eruptive fissure that opened on the upper eastern flank of the volcano. During 12–13 May, 157 infrasonic events, together with the related seismic transients, were collected. We carried out several analyses to obtain dominant frequencies, pseudospectrograms, peak-to-peak amplitudes, source locations and time lags between infrasonic and seismic events. Spectra of the infrasonic events show two main spectral peaks in the frequency bands ~ 0.4–0.7 Hz and 1.5–2.0 Hz, respectively. Both infrasonic and seismic events were separately located below the North-East crater, where no eruptive activity was observed. Moreover, significant changes in infrasound spectral content, as well as in the infrasonic–seismic lags, were found a few hours before the beginning of the eruption. On the basis of the collected information the infrasound source mechanism was modeled as a superposition of pipe and Helmholtz resonance, also leading to outline the geometry of the shallower portion of the North-East crater plumbing system. The occurrence of these seismo-infrasonic events together with other geological and geophysical evidences, led us to inferring a direct link between North-East crater activity and the eruptive fissure. Further, based on variations over time of both spectral features and seismic–infrasonic time lag, shallowing phenomena of the free magma column inside North-East crater conduit were hypothesized. Such an uprise of magma was likely caused by a pressure increase inside the plumbing system occurring before the beginning of the 2008–2009 eruption.

In this paper, we analysed 3-component seismic signals recorded during 27 November 2016-10 January 2017 by two stations installed in Tethys Bay (Victoria Land, Antarctica), close to Mario Zucchelli Station. Due to the low noise levels, it was possible to identify three different kinds of signals: teleseismic earthquakes, microseisms, and icequakes. We focus on the latter two. A statistically significant relationship was found between microseism amplitude and both wind speed and sea swell. Thus, we suggest that the recorded microseism data are caused by waves at the shore close to the seismic stations rather than in the deep ocean during storms. In addition, we detected three icequakes, with dominant low frequencies (below 2 Hz), located in the David Glacier area with local magnitude of 2.4-2.6. These events were likely to have been generated at the rock-ice interface under the glacier. This work shows how seismic signals recorded in Antarctica provide insights on the interactions between the atmosphere-cryosphere-hydrosphere. Since climate patterns drive these interactions, investigations on Antarctic seismic signals could serve as a proxy indicator for estimating climate changes. © 2017 by Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia. All rights reserved.

In this work, we analysed the seismic noise recorded at Mt. Etna by 18 stations during the interval 2007–2015 in the frequency band 0.1–0.3 Hz, chosen to avoid contamination from volcanic tremor. Variations in time of medium seismic velocity in the range − 0.8 to 0.8% were found, mostly affecting the stations located on the volcano summit and flanks. Based on the investigated frequency content, the Δ v / v changes took place from the surface to a depth of ~ 4.5–6.5 km. To identify the source mechanism of the observed medium changes, the variations were quantitatively compared by wavelet transform coherence with volcano-tectonic and meteorological parameters. A significant relationship with meteorological parameters with seasonal periodicity (especially air temperature and snow loading) was found, probably caused by thermo-elastic strain and increasing-decreasing surface loading cycles. Moreover, a sharp medium velocity decrease, taking place in mid-December 2009 and clearly time-related to the largest volcano-tectonic strain release phenomenon of the investigated period, was also found. Such a velocity decrease was interpreted as resulting from ascent of fluids and gas exsolution taking place at the same time as the volcano-tectonic swarm.

Volcanoes generate a broad range of seismo-volcanic and infrasonic signals, whose features and variations are often closely related to volcanic activity. The study of these signals is hence very useful in the monitoring and investigation of volcano dynamics. The analysis of seismo-volcanic and infrasonic signals requires specifically developed techniques due to their unique characteristics, which are generally quite distinct compared with tectonic and volcano-tectonic earthquakes. In this work, we describe analysis methods used to detect and locate seismo-volcanic and infrasonic signals at Mt. Etna. Volcanic tremor sources are located using a method based on spatial seismic amplitude distribution, assuming propagation in a homogeneous medium. The tremor source is found by calculating the goodness of the linear regression fit (R 2) of the log-linearized equation of the seismic amplitude decay with distance. The location method for long-period events is based on the joint computation of semblance and R 2 values, and the location method of very long-period events is based on the application of radial semblance. Infrasonic events and tremor are located by semblance–brightness- and semblance-based methods, respectively. The techniques described here can also be applied to other volcanoes and do not require particular network geometries (such as arrays) but rather simple sparse networks. Using the source locations of all the considered signals, we were able to reconstruct the shallow plumbing system (above sea level) during 2011.

Algorithms searching for similar patterns are widely used in seismology both when the waveforms of the events of interest are known and when there is no a priori-knowledge. Such methods usually make use of the cross-correlation coefficient as a measure of similarity; if there is no a-priori knowledge, they behave as brute-force searching algorithms. The disadvantage of these methods, preventing or limiting their application to very large datasets, is computational complexity. The Mueen–Keogh (MK) algorithm overcomes this limitation by means of two optimization techniques—the early abandoning concept and space indexing. Here, we apply the MK algorithm to amplitude time series retrieved from seismic signals recorded during episodic eruptive activity of Mt Etna in 2011. By adequately tuning the input to the MK algorithm we found eight motif groups characterized by distinct seismic amplitude trends, each related to a different phenomenon. In particular, we observed that earthquakes are accompanied by sharp increases and decreases in seismic amplitude whereas lava fountains are accompanied by slower changes. These results demonstrate that the MK algorithm, because of its particular features, may have wide applicability in seismology.

In recent years, seismological studies in Antarctica have contributed plenty of new knowledge in many fields of earth science. Moreover, acoustic investigations are now also considered a powerful tool that provides insights for many different objectives, such as analyses of regional climate-related changes and studies of volcanic degassing and explosive activities. However, installation and maintenance of scientific instrumentation in Antarctica can be really challenging. Indeed, the instruments have to face the most extreme climate on the planet. They must be tolerant of very low temperatures and robust enough to survive strong winds. Moreover, one of the most critical tasks is powering a remote system year-round at polar latitudes. In this work, we present a novel seismo-acoustic station designed to work reliably in polar regions. To enable year-round seismo-acoustic data collection in such a remote, extreme environment, a hybrid powering system is used, integrating solar panels, a wind generator, and batteries. A power management system was specifically developed to either charge the battery bank or divert energy surplus to warm the enclosure or release the excess energy to the outside environment. Finally, due to the prohibitive environmental conditions at most Antarctic installation sites, the station was designed to be deployed quickly.

We investigated the relationship between volcano-seismic events, recorded at La Fossa crater of Vulcano (Aeolian Islands, Italy) during 2004-2006, and the dynamics of the hydrothermal system. During the period of study, three episodes of increasing numbers of volcano-seismic events took place at the same time as geothermal and geochemical anomalies were observed. These geothermal and geochemical anomalies have been interpreted as resulting from an increasing deep magmatic component of the hydrothermal fluids. Three classes of seismic events (long period, high frequency and monochromatic events), characterised by different spectral content and various similarity of the waveforms, have been recognised. These events, clustered mainly below La Fossa crater area at depths of 0.5–1.1 km b.s.l., were space-distributed according to the classes. Based on their features, we can infer that such events at Vulcano are related to two different source mechanisms: (1) fracturing processes of rocks and (2) resonance of cracks (or conduits) filled with hydrothermal fluid. In the light of these source mechanisms, the increase in the number of events, at the same time as geochemical and geothermal anomalies were observed, was interpreted as the result of an increasing magmatic component of the hydrothermal fluids, implying an increase of their flux. Indeed, such variation caused an increase of both the pore pressure within the rocks of the volcanic system and the amount of ascending fluids. Increased pore pressures gave rise to fracturing processes, while the increased fluid flux favoured resonance and vibration processes in cracks and conduits. Finally, a gradual temporal variation of the waveform of the hybrid events (one of the subclasses of long period events) was observed, likely caused by heating and drying of the hydrothermal system.

Active volcanoes characterized by open conduit conditions generate sonic and infrasonic signals, whose investigation provides useful information for both monitoring purposes and studying the dynamics of explosive processes. In this work, we discuss the automatic procedures implemented for a real-time application to the data acquired by a permanent network of five infrasound stations running at Mt. Etna volcano. The infrasound signals at Mt. Etna consist in amplitude transients, called infrasound events. The adopted procedure uses a multi-algorithm approach for event detection, counting, characterization and location. It is designed for an efficient and accurate processing of infrasound records provided by single-site and array stations. Moreover, the source mechanism of these events can be investigated off-line or in near real-time by using three different models: (1) Strombolian bubble; (2) resonating conduit and (3) Helmholtz resonator. The infrasound waveforms allow us to choose the most suitable model, to get quantitative information about the source and to follow the time evolution of the source parameters.

Here we report the first measurements of gas masses released during a rare period of strombolian activity at the Bocca Nuova crater, Mt. Etna, Sicily. UV camera data acquired for 195 events over an ≈ 27 minute period (27th July 2012) indicate erupted SO2 masses ranging from ≈ 0.1 to ≈ 14 kg per event, with corresponding total gas masses of ≈ 0.1 to 74 kg. Thus, the activity was characterised by more frequent and smaller events than typically associated with strombolian activity on volcanoes such as Stromboli. Events releasing larger measured gas masses were followed by relatively long repose periods before the following burst, a feature not previously reported on from gas measurement data. If we assume that gas transport within the magma can be represented by a train of rising gas pockets or slugs, then the high frequency of events indicates that these slugs must have been in close proximity. In this case the longer repose durations associated with the larger slugs would be consistent with interactions between adjacent slugs leading to coalescence, a process expedited close to the surface by rapid slug expansion. We apply basic modelling considerations to the measured gas masses in order to investigate potential slug characteristics governing the observed activity. We also cross correlated the acquired gas fluxes with contemporaneously obtained seismic data but found no relationship between the series in line with the mild form of manifest explosivity.

Previous studies performed on Mt. Etna on short and discontinuous time intervals indicate the North East Crater (NEC) as the most active source of infrasound. The source mechanism of NEC infrasound events was modeled as a double resonance. This lead to infer the connection between the NEC and both the southeast crater (SEC) and the eruptive fissure (EF), that opened at the beginning of the 2008–2009 eruption. Nevertheless, there are still several open questions that need to be addressed. For instance, the steadiness of NEC event features should be studied, as well as the orderliness of spectral changes of NEC events time-related to eruptive activity of other vents. The investigation of such topics is strongly enhanced by the possibility of analysing infrasound signals during year-long time periods. With this aim about 40,000 infrasound events, recorded at Mt. Etna from August 2007 to December 2009 were analysed by using spectral and location techniques. It was noted in particular that the NEC events featured periods with very steady waveforms and spectral characteristics lasting from days to months with slow or sudden variations. The most important eruptive episodes occurring at the SEC or the EF were accompanied by significant spectral changes in NEC events. In light of such systematic behaviour the connection between the NEC and the SEC/EF plumbing systems was not considered temporary but rather stable even during a relatively long time interval (2006–2009). Moreover, study of NEC event spectral features and their changes over multiple years supports the double resonance source model. Such a model, together with the inferred connections between NEC and SEC/EF feeding systems, implies that level fluctuations of a magma column inside the NEC conduit correspond to magmastatic pressure decrease/increase inside the main plumbing system. These findings open up new and interesting possibilities for monitoring magma pressure changes inside the Mt. Etna plumbing system.

Starting off from a review of previous literature on kinematic models of the unstable eastern flank of Mt. Etna, we propose a new model. The model is based on our analysis of a large quantity of multidisciplinary data deriving from an extensive and diverse network of INGV monitoring devices deployed along the slopes of the volcano. Our analysis had a twofold objective: first, investigating the origin of the recently observed slow-slip events on the eastern flank of Mt. Etna; and second, defining a general kinematic model for the instability of this area of the volcano. To this end, we investigated the 2008–2013 period using data collected from different geochemical, geodetic, and seismic networks, integrated with the tectonic and geologic features of the volcano and including the volcanic activity during the observation period. The complex correlations between the large quantities of multidisciplinary data have given us the opportunity to infer, as outlined in this work, that the fluids of volcanic origin and their interrelationship with aquifers, tectonic and morphological features play a dominant role in the large scale instability of the eastern flank of Mt. Etna. Furthermore, we suggest that changes in the strain distribution due to volcanic inflation/deflation cycles are closely connected to changes in shallow depth fluid circulation. Finally, we propose a general framework for both the short and long term modeling of the large flank displacements observed.

During 2013 Mount Etna volcano experienced intense eruptive activity at the summit craters, foremost at the New Southeast Crater and to a minor degree at the Voragine and Bocca Nuova (BN), which took place in two cycles, February–April and September–December. In this work, we mainly focus on the period between these cycles, applying a multiparametric approach. The period from the end of April to 5 September showed a gradual increase in the amplitude of long-period (LP) events and volcanic tremor, a slight inflation testified by both tilt and GPS data, and a CO2 flux increase. Such variations were interpreted as due to a gradual pressurization of the plumbing system, from the shallowest part, where LP and volcanic tremor are located, down to about 3–9 km below sea level, pressure source depths obtained by both geodetic and CO2 data. On 5 September, at the same time as a large explosion at BN, we observed an instantaneous variation of the aforementioned signals (decrease in amplitude of LP events and volcanic tremor, slight deflation, and CO2 flux decrease) and the activation of a new infrasonic source located at BN. In the light of it, the BN explosion probably caused the instantaneous end of the pressurization, and the opening of a new vent at BN, that has become a new steady source of infrasonic events. This apparently slight change in the plumbing system also led to the gradual resumption of activity at the New Southeast Crater, culminating with the second lava fountain cycle of 2013.

We report here on the first record of carbon dioxide gas emission rates from a volcano, captured at ≈ 1 Hz. These data were acquired with a novel technique, based on the integration of UV camera observations (to measure SO2 emission rates) and field portable gas analyser readings of plume CO2/SO2 ratios. Our measurements were performedat the North East crater of Mount Etna, southern Italy, and the data reveal strong variability in CO2 emissions over timescales of tens to hundreds of seconds, spanning two orders of magnitude. This carries importantimplications for attempts to constrain global volcanic CO2 release to the atmosphere, and will lead to an increased insight into short term CO2 degassing trends. A common oscillation in CO2 and SO2 emission rates in addition to the CO2/SO2 ratios was observed at periods of ≈ 89 s. Our results are furthermore suggestive of an intriguing temporal lag between oscillations in CO2 emissions and seismicity at periods of ≈ 300–400 s, with peaks and troughs in the former series leading those in the latter by ≈ 150 s. This work opens the way to the acquisition of further datasets with this methodology across a range of basaltic systems to better our understandingof deep magmatic processes and of degassing links to manifest geophysical signals.

Since January 2011, Mt. Etna volcano has been affected by more than forty paroxysmal eruptions at the summit (New South East Crater; NSEC). On the basis of their very variable duration, seven eruptions have been selected among the twenty-five of 2011–2012 in order to decipher potential differences in their triggering mechanism. Paroxysms have been investigated through a multidisciplinary approach that integrates data from volcanic tremor and petrology (textures and micro-analysis on plagioclase crystals). Our results lead to the conclusion that close relationships exist between the duration of the eruptions and the temporal evolution of the volcanic tremor amplitude, especially during the Strombolian phase preceding the paroxysmal activity. In this regard, we distinguished: 1) paroxysms preceded by long-lasting initial Strombolian phases, characterized by low rate of volcanic tremor amplitude increase; and 2) eruptions preceded by short initial Strombolian phases, showing high rate of volcanic tremor amplitude increase. Based on the pattern of volcanic tremor amplitude increase, the former mainly showed a ramp-shaped morphology, while the latter a bell-shaped trend. Location of the volcanic tremor centroid during the quiescent intervals between the paroxysmal eruptions has highlighted the presence of a magmatic volume at 1–2 km a.s.l. beneath the North East Crater (NEC). During the syn-eruptive Strombolian and lava fountaining phases, the centroid of volcanic tremor migrates below the NSEC. This leads to the consideration that the magma batch residing beneath NEC played an important role in the volcanic activity at NSEC during the considered period. Also the textures and compositional zoning (anorthite and iron variations) in selected plagioclase crystals of the analyzed lavas suggest relations between duration of the paroxysms and dynamics of pre-eruptive magmatic processes at depth. Particularly, two mechanisms have been accounted for triggering of eruptions at the NSEC on the basis of the concordant or discordant behavior of anorthite and iron in plagioclase coupled with disequilibrium textures at the rim. Concordant anorthite and iron increases in plagioclase crystals with sieve-textured rims indicate recharge by more mafic, gas-rich magma. This textural-compositional behavior has been related to long-lasting eruptions, whose volcanic tremor amplitude evolution produced ramp-shaped increase of the volcanic tremor amplitude before the paroxysmal phase. On the contrary, crystals with sieve-textures at the rim, characterized by increasing iron at rather constant or decreasing anorthite, suggest the prominent role of gas injections into the residing system. In this instance, the compositional behavior has been linked with short-lasting eruptions, whose volcanic tremor amplitude evolution led to a sudden increase of the seismic amplitude before the climax of the eruption. Thus, our work put forward the idea that the evolution and duration of the Strombolian phase preceding the paroxysmal eruptions of 2011–2012 at Mt. Etna are strongly controlled by the eruption triggering mechanism, which can be either gas burst or gas-rich magma recharge.

The prompt detection of explosive volcanic activity is crucial since this kind of activity can release copious amounts of volcanic ash and gases into the atmosphere, causing severe dangers to aviation. In this work, we show how the joint analysis of seismic and infrasonic data by wavelet transform coherence (WTC) can be useful to detect explosive activity, significantly enhancing its recognition that is normally done by video cameras and thermal sensors. Indeed, the efficiency of these sensors can be reduced (or inhibited) in the case of poor visibility due to clouds or gas plumes. In particular, we calculated the root mean square (RMS) of seismic and infrasonic signals recorded at Mt. Etna during 2011. This interval was characterised by several episodes of lava fountains, accompanied by lava effusion, and minor strombolian activities. WTC analysis showed significantly high values of coherence between seismic and infrasonic RMS during explosive activity, with infrasonic and seismic series in phase with each other, hence proving to be sensitive to both weak and strong explosive activity. The WTC capability of automatically detecting explosive activity was compared with the potential of detection methods based on fixed thresholds of seismic and infrasonic RMS. Finally, we also calculated the cross correlation function between seismic and infrasonic signals, which showed that the wave types causing such seismo-acoustic relationship are mainly incident seismic and infrasonic waves, likely with a common source.

[1] In contrast to the seismic and infrasonic energy released from quiescent and erupting volcanoes, which have long been known to manifest episodes of highly periodic behavior, the spectral properties of volcanic gas flux time series remain poorly constrained, due to a previous lack of hightemporal resolution gas-sensing techniques. Here we report on SO2 flux measurements, performed on Mount Etna with a novel UV imaging technique of unprecedented sampling frequency (0.5Hz), which reveal, for the first time, a rapid periodic structure in degassing from this target. These gas flux modulations have considerable temporal variability in their characteristics and involve two period bands: 40–250 and 500–1200s. A notable correlation between gas flux fluctuations in the latter band and contemporaneous seismic root-mean-square values suggests that this degassing behavior may be generated by periodic bursting of rising gas bubble trains at the magma-air interface. Citation: Tamburello, G., A. Aiuppa, A. J. S. McGonigle, P. Allard, A. Cannata, G. Giudice, E. P. Kantzas, and T. D. Pering (2013), Periodic volcanic degassing behavior: The Mount Etna example, Geophys. Res. Lett., 40, 4818–4822, doi:10.1002/grl.50924.

Repeating volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquakes, taking place at Mt. Etna during 1999–2009, were detected and analyzed to investigate their behavior. We found 735 families amounting to 2479 VT earthquakes, representing ~ 38% of all the analyzed VT earthquakes. The number of VT earthquakes making up the families ranges from 2 to 23. Over 70% of the families comprise 2 or 3 VT earthquakes and only 20 families by more than 10 events. The occurrence lifetime is also highly variable ranging from some minutes to ten years. In particular, more than half of the families have a lifetime shorter than 0.5 day and only ~ 10% longer than 1 year. On the basis of these results, most of the detected families were considered “burst-type”, i.e., show swarm-like occurrence, and hence their origin cannot be explained by a temporally constant tectonic loading. Indeed, since the analyzed earthquakes take place in a volcanic area, the rocks are affected not only by tectonic stresses related to the fairly steady regional stress field but also by local stresses, caused by the volcano, such as magma batch intrusions/movements and gravitational loading. We focused on the five groups of families characterized by the longest repeatability over time, namely high number of events and long lifetime, located in the north-eastern, eastern and southern flanks of the volcano. Unlike the first four groups, which similarly to most of the detected families show swarm-like VT occurrences, group “v”, located in the north-eastern sector, exhibits a more “tectonic” behavior with the events making up such a group spread over almost the entire analyzed period. It is clear how both occurrence and slip rates do not remain constant but vary over time, and such changes are time-related to the occurrence of the 2002–2003 eruption. Finally, by FPFIT algorithm a good agreement between directions identified by nodal planes and the earthquake epicentral distribution was generally found.

© 2012 Cassisi et al., licensee InTech. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Similarity Measures and Dimensionality Reduction Techniques for Time Series Data Mining

[1] In this work, waveform variations in repeating volcano-tectonic earthquakes occurring from 2001–2009 in the north-eastern flank of Mt. Etna were studied. Changes in waveform were found mainly during 2002–2003; and consisted of a decreasing similarity in the coda of events in earthquake families, as revealed by cross-correlation analysis, and delays, increasing proportionally to the lapse time, detected by coda wave interferometry. Such variations, mainly evident at stations located in the north-eastern flank of the volcano, were likely due to medium changes taking place within this region. Localized medium velocity decreases were inferred to occur in 2002–2003, followed by successive increases. The velocity decrease was interpreted as being caused by the opening or enlargement of cracks, produced by intruding magma bodies, intense ground deformation, and/or VT earthquake activity that accompanied the 2002–2003 Mt. Etna eruption. On the other hand, subsequent velocity increases were interpreted as resulting from healing processes.

Thermal imagery obtained with portable infrared cameras is widely used to track and measure volcanic phenomena. In the case of explosive eruptions, both air and ground-based thermal monitoring have enabled collection of data streams from relatively safe distances. Analysis of these data have enabled the characterisation of different explosive regimes, parameterisation of eruptive plumes, and assessment on the dynamics occurring in the shallow system. Here we explore the suitability of infrared imagers for investigating the short time scale eruptive behaviour of three basaltic volcanoes. We present high-time resolution thermal image data-sets recorded at Etna, Stromboli and Kīlauea volcano. At the time of observations, all three exhibited pulsed degassing. Signal processing of the mean apparent temperature time-series highlights four broad classes of cyclic temperature changes at the three volcanoes based on characteristic time-scales revealed in the periodograms: (1)

Seismic activity, ground deformation, and soil and fumarole temperatures acquired during 2004–2007 at Vulcano (Aeolian Islands) are analysed and the time relations among the different time series are discussed. Changes in temperature of fumarolic gases took place during four “anomalous” periods (November 2004–March 2005; October 2005–February 2006; August–October 2006; July–December 2007) at the same time as an increasing number of volcano-seismic events. In particular, the temperatures at high temperature vents and at steam heated soil ranged in time from 180 to 440°C and from 20 to 90°C, respectively. The maximum daily number of volcano-seismic events was 57, reached during the second anomalous period. This seismicity, characterised by focal depth generally lower than 1 km below sea level (b.s.l.) and composed of different kinds of events associated to both resonance and shear failure processes, is related to the shallow dynamics of the hydrothermal system. During the analysed period, very few volcano-tectonic earthquakes took place and tilt recordings showed no sharp or important changes. In light of such observations, the increases in both temperature and volcano-seismic events number were associated to increases in the release of gas from a deep and stable magma body, without magma intrusions within the shallow hydrothermal system. Indeed, a greater release of gas from depth leads to increased fluid circulation, that can promote increases in volcano-seismic events number by both fracturing processes and resonance and vibration in cracks and conduits. The different trends observed in the measured geochemical and geophysical series during the anomalous periods can be due to either time changes in the medium permeability or a changing speed of gas release from a deep magma body. Finally, all the observed variations, together with the changing temporal distribution of the different seismic event kinds, suggest that the hydrothermal system at Vulcano can be considered unsteady and dynamic.

Volcanoes are geologic manifestations of highly dynamic and complexly coupled physical and chemical processes in the interior of the Earth. Most volcanism on Earth occurs at plate boundaries in places where tectonic plates move apart (e.g. Iceland) and in places where tectonic plates come together with one plate plunging (subducting) below the other into the mantle (e.g. Pacific ring of fire). Conversely, intraplate volcanism is a type of volcanism occurring far from plate boundaries and whose origins are rather controversial. To know the working mode of a volcano in a given region it is necessary to understand the interplay between tectonics, deformation processes and magma transport through the lithosphere (e.g. Vigneresse, 1999; Petford et al., 2000). Deformation-induced fault-fracture networks have been regarded as efficient pathways through which magma is transported, stored and eventually erupted at the Earth’s surface (e.g. Clemens and Mawer, 1992; Petford et al., 2000). At active volcanoes, magmas rise toward the surface and can stagnate at different levels in the lithosphere, giving rise to magma bodies of different shape and size (Marsh, 2000). Nearly all volcanic eruptions are supplied with magma through dykes and inclined sheets whose initiation and eventual propagation to the surface or, alternatively, arrest at some depth in the volcano, depend on the stress state in the volcano (Gudmundsson, 2006). At the surface of active volcanic edifices, the majority of eruptive fissures have a radial configuration and tangential or oblique fissures are rare. However, within many eroded volcanic edifices, dykes and dyke-fed eruptive fissures commonly have more complex patterns, resulting from regional stresses, magmatic reservoirs, anisotropies or variations in topography (Acocella et al., 2009). Geophysics can provide information on the geometry of plumbing system and magma chambers, as well as on the mechanisms of emplacement of dykes. Among the different branches of geophysics, seismology is the most powerful tool to obtain information about

A multidisciplinary approach integrating a wide data set ranging from bulk rock compositions of the erupted products to volcanic tremor, long-period events, and tilt and gravity signals is used to investigate the source depth and magma dynamics of the 10 May 2008 lava fountain at Southeast crater (SEC) of Mount Etna. The investigation was undertaken in the framework of the previous 2007 explosive activity as well as the subsequent effusive eruption beginning 13 May 2008 and lasting up to July 2009. All the data concur in indicating that the 10 May lava fountain was generated by the fragmentation of a foam layer trapped at the top of a shallow reservoir, about 1500–1700 m below the summit of SEC. The shift from the episodic strombolian/lava fountain activity occurring in 2007 at SEC to the more powerful 10 May 2008 lava fountain is explained by the intrusion of a new more primitive magma into the shallow reservoir. Data also indicate that an attempted magma intrusion east of the summit area occurred during the 10 May fire fountain. This event caused the fracturing and weakening of the surrounding rocks and created a preferential pathway for the penetration of the magma that, only 3 days later, started to feed the 2008–2009 effusive eruption.

[1] On 16 November 2006, a 1 day long paroxysmal eruption occurred at the summit craters of Mt. Etna volcano. A multiparametric approach, consisting of analyzing infrasonic, seismic, and video camera recordings, was carried out to follow its evolution. Volcanological and geophysical observations identified three eruptive phases. In the first phase, infrasonic and seismic characteristics reflected the highly explosive nature of the activity. Waveform characterization of infrasound events confirmed the activity of the several explosive vents at the summit of Southeast Crater (SEC). During the second phase, results highlighted the decoupling between seismic and infrasonic sources, which was due to the decrease in explosive activity and the reactivation of effusive vents located south of Bocca Nuova and on the saddle between Bocca Nuova and SEC. The third phase was the most intense and was characterized by various volcanic phenomena (pyroclastic flows, jets of dark ash, and white steam). The very high radiated infrasonic energy, together with infrasound event features, led us to infer a gas enrichment of the shallow magma column, preceding by a few minutes and likely related to the pyroclastic flows in the SEC area. After the eruption at SEC, variations in infrasound events related to the activity of Northeast Crater (NEC) were found. The observed spectral changes and the source mechanism modeling of the NEC infrasound events suggest the existence of a link in the plumbing system feeding the two craters.

On 13 May 2008 an eruptive fissure opened on Mount Etna's eastern flank feeding both explosive activity and lava effusion from multiple vents for about 14 months. During the investigated May-September 2008 eruptive period, infrasound recordings from a 4 station-sparse network allowed tracking of the explosive activity in terms of location and dynamics. In order to focus on activity from the eruptive fissure, the infrasonic events generated by the summit craters were selected by using both spectral features and time delays between pairs of stations and excluded from our analysis. Then, to accurately locate events from the fissure, we used a composite method, based on the semblance and brightness functions. This enabled the study of the co-existence of more than one infrasound source and/or its migration along the eruptive fissure. Hence, results permitted us to discriminate the number of active vents and their location along the fissure even when, due to poor weather conditions, it was not possible to access the vents or carry out direct observations. The eruptive activity was characterised by variations in the number of active vents according to the overall intensity of the eruptive event. Variability of the infrasound waveforms highlighted either that distinct vents produced signals with different waveforms, or that single vents generated different events during distinct periods of time, or finally both the previous phenomena. We applied the strombolian bubble vibration model to model waveform differences and attributed the signal variations to bubble radius changes.

Clustering is a widely used unsupervised data mining technique. In density-based clustering, a cluster is defined as a connected dense component and grows in the direction set by the density. In this paper we present a software system called DBStrata that implements the density-based clustering architecture together with several extensions able to boost the clustering performances and to efficiently identify outliers.

[1] Seismic, deformation, and volcanic gas observations offer independent and complementary information on the activity state and dynamics of quiescent and eruptive volcanoes and thus all contribute to volcanic risk assessment. In spite of their wide use, there have been only a few efforts to systematically integrate and compare the results of these different monitoring techniques. Here we combine seismic (volcanic tremor and long-period seismicity), deformation (GPS), and geochemical (volcanic gas plume CO2/SO2 ratios) measurements in an attempt to interpret trends in the recent (2007–2008) activity of Etna volcano. We show that each eruptive episode occurring at the Southeast Crater (SEC) was preceded by a cyclic phase of increase-decrease of plume CO2/SO2 ratios and by inflation of the volcano's summit captured by the GPS network. These observations are interpreted as reflecting the persistent supply of CO2-rich gas bubbles (and eventually more primitive magmas) to a shallow (depth of 1–2.8 km asl) magma storage zone below the volcano's central craters (CCs). Overpressuring of the resident magma stored in the upper CCs' conduit triggers further magma ascent and finally eruption at SEC, a process which we capture as an abrupt increase in tremor amplitude, an upward (>2800 m asl) and eastward migration of the source location of seismic tremor, and a rapid contraction of the volcano's summit. Resumption of volcanic activity at SEC was also systematically anticipated by declining plume CO2/SO2 ratios, consistent with magma degassing being diverted from the central conduit area (toward SEC).

[1] Influences of distant earthquakes on volcanic systems by dynamic stress transfer are well documented. We analyzed seismic signals and volcanic activity at Mount Etna during two periods, January 2006 and May 2008, that clearly showed variations coincident with distant earthquakes. In the first period, characterized by mild volcano activity, the effect of the dynamic stress transfer, caused by an earthquake in Greece (M = 6.8), was twofold: (1) banded tremor activity changed its features and almost disappeared; (2) a swarm of volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquakes took place. The changes of the banded tremor were likely due to variations in rock permeability, caused by fluid flows driven by dynamic strain. The VT earthquake swarm probably developed as a secondary process, promoted by the dynamically triggered activation of magmatic fluids. The second period, May 2008, showed an intense explosive activity. During this interval, the dynamic stress transfer, associated with the arrival of the seismic waves of the Sichuan earthquake (M = 7.9), affected the character of the seismo-volcanic signals and on the following day triggered an eruption. In particular, we observed changes in volcanic tremor and increases of both occurrence rate and energy of long period events. In this case, we suggest that dynamic stress transfer caused nucleation of new bubbles in volatile-rich magma bodies with consequent buildup of pressure, highlighted by the increase of long period activity, followed by the occurrence of an eruption. We conclude that stresses from distant earthquakes are capable of modifying the state of the volcano.

The number of tornillo events has recently increased at the Vulcano Island, Italy. While only 15 tornillos were recorded during 2004–2006, 584 events occurred in 2007–2008. They were located just below La Fossa Crater at depths ranging between 0.1 and 1 km b.s.l. During two intervals in 2007–2008 increases in the number of tornillos took place at the same time as temperature and geochemical anomalies were observed. The spectral content of the tornillos, generally characterized by one–two dominant spectral peaks near 6 and 10 Hz, varied over time, with changes also noted in the quality factors. The simplest source mechanism proposed for tornillos is the free eigenvibration of a fluid volume within a crack or a conduit. Based on this model, we propose a causal relationship between the temperature and geochemical anomalies and the increases in numbers of tornillos. As the amount of hydrothermal fluids increases during the anomalies, the upward flux of fluids grows. The consequent changes in the pressure, temperature and dynamics of the system of cracks and conduits result in the generation of tornillos. Based on the fluid-filled crack/conduit model, the shallow depths of the sources and the values of the quality factors, the fluid within the resonant crack/conduit was inferred to be an ash–gas or water droplet–gas mixture. Moreover, the observed variations in the wavefield can be caused by small changes in the location of the source, in the source mechanism, or in the medium in between the source and the seismic station. Finally, another peculiar feature of tornillos is the amplitude modulation that can be explained as a result of a beating phenomenon.

Large variations of the CO2 flux through the soil were observed between November 2002 and January 2006 at Mt. Etna volcano. In many cases, the CO2 flux was strongly influenced by changes in air temperature and atmospheric pressure. A new filtering method was then developed to remove the atmospheric influences on soil CO2 flux and, at the same time, to highlight the variations strictly related to volcanic activity. Successively, the CO2 corrected data were quantitatively compared with the spectral amplitude of the volcanic tremor by cross correlation function, cross-wavelet spectrum and wavelet coherence. These analyses suggested that the soil CO2 flux variations preceded those of volcanic tremor by about 50 days. Given that volcanic tremor is linked to the shallow (a few kilometer) magma dynamics and soil CO2 flux related to the deeper (~12 km b.s.l.) magma dynamics, the “delayed similarity” between the CO2 flux and the volcanic tremor amplitude was used to assess the average speed in the magma uprising into the crust, as about 170–260 m per day. Finally, the large amount of CO2 released before the onset of the 2004–2005 eruption indicated a deep ingression of new magma, which might have triggered such an eruption.

[1] The period September–November 2007 was characterized at Mount Etna by explosive activity and intense degassing. During this time interval, infrasonic signals were recorded by an infrasonic network. By a triggering procedure, about 1000 infrasonic events were found, characterized by very high signal-to-noise ratio and grouped into nine families. Successively, the spectral analysis allowed subdividing these nine families into three clusters based on the peak frequency and the quality factor of the events. Finally, by the location analysis a cluster (cluster 1) was related to the degassing activity of the northeast crater (NEC), while the other two (clusters 2 and 3) to the explosive activity of the southeast crater (SEC). The comparison between the stacked infrasonic waveforms, interpreted as generated by the vibration of large gas bubbles, and the synthetic ones, permitted to calculate radius, length of the bubble, and initial overpressure, by a genetic algorithm method. The higher overpressure values of cluster 3 compared to the cluster 2 values were in good agreement with the stronger intensity of the explosions accompanying the infrasonic events of cluster 3. The variation of both intensities and waveforms is tentatively attributed to the occasional accumulation of lithic clasts (due to moderate landslides?) on the explosive vent. Indeed, events belonging to cluster 3 were no longer observed once the landslides had ended. Finally, the daily emitted gas volume, related to the active degassing, was estimated for NEC and SEC by using the infrasonic data during the studied period.

[1] Active volcanoes produce inaudible infrasound due to the coupling between surface magmatic processes and the atmosphere. Monitoring techniques based on infrasound measurements have been proved capable of producing information during volcanic crises. We report observations collected from an infrasound network on Mt. Etna which enabled us to detect and locate a new summit eruption on May 13, 2008 when poor weather inhibited direct observations. Three families of signals were identified that allowed the evolution of the eruption to be accurately tracked in real-time. Each family is representative of a different active vent, producing different waveforms due to their varying geometry. Several competitive models have been developed to explain the source mechanisms of the infrasonic events, but according to our studies we demonstrate that two source models coexist at Mt. Etna during the investigated period. Such a monitoring system represents a breakthrough in the ability to monitor and understand volcanic phenomena.

Almost 50,000 long period (LP) events were recorded at Mt. Etna from November 2003 to May 2006. We analysed these events, as well as very long period (VLP) events which were associated with some of them. During some intervals the spectral and wavefield features of LP events remained steady, with significant changes occurring between the intervals. Based on the times of the changes, we distinguish five different sub-periods. In particular, during sub-period III (June–November 2005) the wavefield at the stations nearest to the summit area was composed of P waves. Locations for 150 LP events occurring in sub-period III, determined using radial semblance, changed, at the same time as the events' spectral features changed. It was during this sub-period that many of the LP events were associated with VLP events. Based on similarity of the waveforms, we distinguished two families of VLP events, with gradually evolving waveforms. The two families are located in slightly different places, but near the sources of the LP events. The change between the families occurred at the same time as the spectra of the LP events changed. Finally the source of the VLP events was investigated by performing complete waveform moment tensor inversion of stacks of the two families. Synthetic Green's functions for the full moment tensor were calculated for a homogeneous half-space. For both families, the source region with the highest variance reduction lies approximately beneath the active craters, at 500 m below the altitudes of the stations. The solutions for both families are very similar with sources that are between 60 and 70% isotropic. Attempts to determine deviatoric moment tensors produced consistently poorer fits. The remaining energy is poorly constrained and is likely to be noise. In conclusion, these results highlight changes in the LP and VLP events at Mt. Etna over time, and the causal relationship between them.

[1] Volcanic tremor and low frequency events, together with infrasound signals, can represent important precursory phenomena of eruptive activity because of their strict relationship with eruptive mechanisms and with fluid flows through the volcano's feeding system. Important variations of these seismo-volcanic and infrasound signals, recorded at Mt. Etna volcano, occurred both in the medium- and short-term before the eruption, that took place on 13 May 2008. The most significant changes were observed in the frequency content and location of LP events, as well as in volcanic tremor location, that allowed us to track the magma pathway feeding the 2008 eruptive activity. The infrasound showed three different families of events linked to the activity of the three active vents: North-East Crater, South-East crater and the eruptive fissure. The seismic and infrasonic variations reported, corroborated by ground deformations variations, help to develop a quantitative prediction and early-warning system for effusive and/or explosive eruptions.

The project ‘‘Sviluppo di sistemi di monitoraggio’’ (Dipartimento di Protezione Civile di Regione Sicilia, INGV Catania Section, Italy), the Leverhulme Trust, the BBC, and the Ethiopian Air Force.

During 1999, the volcanic activity at Mt. Etna was both explosive and effusive at the summit craters: Strombolian activity, lava fountains and lava flows affected different areas of the volcano, involving three of the four summit craters. Results from analysis of the 1999 volcanic tremor features are shown at two different time scales. First, the long-term time variation of the features of the volcanic tremor (including spectral and polarization parameters), during the entire year, was compared with the evolution of the eruptive activity. This approach demonstrated the good agreement between tremor data and observed eruptive activity; the activation of different tremor sources was suggested. Then, a more refined analysis of the volcanic tremor, recorded during 14 lava fountain eruptions, was performed. In particular, a shift of the dominant frequencies towards lower values was noted which corresponds with increasing explosive activity. Similar behaviour in the frequency content has already been observed in other explosive eruptions at Mt. Etna as well as on other volcanoes. This behaviour has been explained in terms of either an increase in the tremor source dimension or a decrease in the sound speed in the magma within the conduit. These results confirm that the volcanic tremor is a powerful tool for better understanding the physical processes controlling explosive eruptions at Mt. Etna volcano.

We have studied the volcanic tremor recorded at Mt. Etna during January–June 1999, by using three-component seismic stations. This time period was characterised by both explosive and effusive eruptions occurring at the summit craters. We found significant time variations in the trend of the overall spectral amplitude of tremor, as well as in the dominant spectral peaks. Moreover, the tremor wavefield features (polarization, particle motion and ratios between the amplitude of the three components of the ground velocity) have been studied too, confirming significant time variations. This leads us to suggest the existence of at least two tremor sources: a shallow one, mainly characterised by relatively high frequencies (3.5–7 Hz), is linked to the upper portions of the active conduits, and directly related to the observed eruptive activity. The latter deeper source was active for only a few weeks, and characterised by frequencies lower than about 2.5 Hz. It had no relationship with the observed eruptive activity, and was speculatively related to the gas exsolution from fresh magma refilling a small batch.