Page 244 - Volcano and Geothermal Tourism

15

Volcano Tourism and

its Influence on the

Territory of Mt Etna (Italy) –

Explored with Digressions

to Stromboli (Italy)

Ariane Struck we know it today has grown during the past
15,000 years, following a series of explosive
Summary of important eruptions that blew off the previous deposits and
geographic and volcanic led to the collapse of a vast summit caldera
(Behnke and Struck, 2005). During the past
characteristics 15,000 years the volcanic character has been
Mt Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe. mildly explosive with voluminous lava ejections
Due to its natural characteristics and frequent from the summit craters and flanks, discontinuously
volcanic activity, it is one of the most famous interrupted by more strongly explosive but short-
volcanoes in the world. With a surface area of lived eruptive episodes at the summit (Behnke and
about 1200km and a present summit height of Struck, 2005; Coltelli et al, 2004). Volcanic products
2
aproximately 3310m Mt Etna is located in the formed in explosive eruptions like ash, scoria and
eastern part of the island of Sicily (Italy), 25km volcanic bombs appear in a comparatively small
north of the city of Catania. Placed at the southern quantity. Only a few volcanoes of the world share
edge of the Eurasian Plate, close to the collision this quality and have a low explosive index at the
zone with the African Plate, in a complex same time. This combination of qualities has
geodynamic setting, Etna is composed of supported the development of volcano tourism at
overlapping products of different phases. Its Mt Etna and underpins its importance to the
historical volcanic origin began about 0.5 million study of volcanism.
years ago with small volume volcanism. About 0.2 The island of Stromboli is part of the
million years ago the volcanism became more municipality of Lipari in the province of Messina.
2
energetic resulting in the development of a series It has an area of 12.6km with about 450
of overlapping central volcanoes (Behnke and permanent inhabitants and belongs with its
Struck, 2005; Branca et al, 2004). The volcano as neighbouring islands to the Aeolian Islands in the

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