Acquisition and preliminary analysis of multi-channel seismic reflection data, acquired during the oceanographic cruises of the TOMO-ETNA experiment

Marco Firetto Carlino Marco Firetto Carlino,Mauro Coltelli Mauro Coltelli,Domenico Patanè Domenico Patanè,Fabrizio Zgur Fabrizio Zgur,Jesús M Ibáñez Jesús M Ibáñez,Pier Paolo G Bruno Pier Paolo G Bruno,Danilo Cavallaro Danilo Cavallaro,Lorenzo Sormani Lorenzo Sormani

doi:10.4401/ag-7083

Abstract

<p>The TOMO-ETNA experiment was performed in the framework of the FP7 “MED-SUV” (MEDiterranean SUpersite Volcanoes) in order to gain a detailed geological and structural model of the continental and oceanic crust <span>concerning </span>Etna and Aeolian Islands volcanoes (Sicily, Italy), by means of active and passive seismic exploration methodologies. Among all data collected, some 1410 km of marine multi-channel seismic (MCS) reflection profiles were acquired in the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas during two of the three oceanographic cruises of the TOMO-ETNA experiment, in July and November 2014, with the aim of shading light to deep, intermediate and shallow stratigraphy and crustal structure of the two above mentioned areas. The MCS sections, targeted to deep exploration, were acquired during the oceanographic cruise on board the R/V “Sarmiento de Gamboa”, using an active seismic source of 16 air-guns, for a total volume of 4340 cu. in., and a 3000 m long, 240-channels digital streamer as receiving system. High-resolution seismic profiles were instead collected through the R/V “Aegaeo”, using two smaller air-guns (overall 270 cu. in. volume) and a 96 channels, 300 m long digital streamer. This paper provides a detailed description of the acquisition parameters and main processing steps adopted for the MCS data. Some processed lines are shown and preliminarily interpreted, to highlight the overall good quality and the high potential of the MCS sections collected during the TOMO-ETNA experiment.</p>

Highlights

The TOMO-ETNA experiment, which is part of the European Union funded FP7 “MED-SUV” (MEDiterranean SUpersite Volcanoes) project [Ibáñez et al 2016a, in this volume], aims at better defining the main regional tectonic and crustal seismo-stratigraphic pattern of Etna volcano and surroundings, up to north-eastern Sicily, and to contribute for understanding the physical processes controlling magma ascent beneath Etna and Aeolian Island volcanoes.The geodynamic setting of north and central-eastern Sicily suggests that some shallow and crustal-scale structures, that control the regional seismicity and magma uprising in this region, are located offshore
This paper aims at providing a detailed report of the acquisition parameters, on board quality control and main seismic data-processing stages performed on the TOMO-ETNA marine seismic reflection surveys (MCS) survey
Main steps of multi-channel seismic data processing In this paragraph we report a brief description of the main processing methods applied on MCS data, by using the Schlumberger VISTA

Summary

Introduction

The TOMO-ETNA experiment, which is part of the European Union funded FP7 “MED-SUV” (MEDiterranean SUpersite Volcanoes) project [Ibáñez et al 2016a, in this volume], aims at better defining the main regional tectonic and crustal seismo-stratigraphic pattern of Etna volcano and surroundings, up to north-eastern Sicily, and to contribute for understanding the physical processes controlling magma ascent beneath Etna and Aeolian Island volcanoes.The geodynamic setting of north and central-eastern Sicily suggests that some shallow and crustal-scale structures, that control the regional seismicity and magma uprising in this region, are located offshore. The TOMO-ETNA experiment, which is part of the European Union funded FP7 “MED-SUV” (MEDiterranean SUpersite Volcanoes) project [Ibáñez et al 2016a, in this volume], aims at better defining the main regional tectonic and crustal seismo-stratigraphic pattern of Etna volcano and surroundings, up to north-eastern Sicily, and to contribute for understanding the physical processes controlling magma ascent beneath Etna and Aeolian Island volcanoes. To overcome the above-mentioned resolution limits, multi-channel marine seismic reflection surveys (MCS) were scheduled during the TOMO-ETNA experiment [see Coltelli et al 2016, in this volume], with the aim of exploring the subsurface along directions of particular geologic interest, and eventually clarifying the scientific discussion about the presence of structures inferred only on the basis of intuition and low-resolution data. Etna and its possible role as a seismogenetic source for some of the large earthquakes that in times affected the Ionian sector of Sicily;

Objectives

Findings

Conclusion