The earliest open conduit eruptive center of the Etnean region: evidence from aeromagnetic, geophysical, and geological data

At Mount Etna, the present-day active volcanois an open conduit structure characterized by continuouseruptive activity. Such conditions have been thoughtunique in the evolution of the Etnean volcano as wellas in the Mediterranean region. However, a reviewstudy of available geophysical data and models, combinedwith geological records, petrographic and geochemicalconsiderations, has led us to consider that alarge area of about 28 km2 located in Val Calanna, onthe eastern side of Valle del Bove, can be interpreted asthe site of an old open conduit volcano. A dyke swarmoutcrops in the area, whose deep alteration andfumarolization can be attributed to the sustained passageof volcanic gases over long periods. Radiometric datingyields an age of about 129 ka. This finding sheds newlight on the evolution of Mount Etna volcano, indicatingthat the tectonic conditions leading to an open conduitvolcano must also have been active in the past.