Acquisition procedures, processing methodologies and preliminary results of magnetic and ROV data collected during the TOMO-ETNA experiment

Danilo Cavallaro Danilo Cavallaro,Filippo Muccini Filippo Muccini,Marco Filippone Marco Filippone,Marco Firetto Carlino Marco Firetto Carlino,Mauro Coltelli Mauro Coltelli,Erika Buttaro Erika Buttaro,Jesús M Ibáñez Jesús M Ibáñez,Cosmo Carmisciano Cosmo Carmisciano,Domenico Patanè Domenico Patanè,Luca Cocchi Luca Cocchi

doi:10.4401/ag-7084

Abstract

<p>The TOMO-ETNA experiment was devised for the investigation of the continental and oceanic crust beneath Mt. Etna volcano and northeastern Sicily up to the Aeolian Islands, through an active source study. In this experiment, a large amount of geophysical data was collected both inland and in the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas for identifying the major geological and structural features offshore Mt. Etna and NE Sicily. One of the oceanographic cruises organized within the TOMO-ETNA experiment was carried out on the hydrographic vessel “Galatea” by Italian Navy. During the cruise a detailed magnetic survey and a set of ROV (remotely operated vehicle) dives were performed offshore Mt. Etna. The magnetic survey allowed the compilation of a preliminary magnetic map revealing a clear direct relationship between volcanic structures and high frequency magnetic anomalies. Significant positive magnetic anomalies were identified offshore the Timpa area and along the easternmost portion of the Riposto Ridge <span>and</span> correlated to a primitive volcanic edifice and to shallow volcanic bodies, respectively. On the whole, the magnetic anomaly map highlights a clear SW-NE decreasing trend, where high amplitude positive magnetic anomaly pattern of the SW sector passes, northeastwardly, to a main negative one. ROV dives permitted to directly explore the shallowest sectors of the Riposto Ridge and to collect several videos and seafloor samples, allowing us to identify some locally developed volcanic manifestations.</p>

Highlights

Etna through multi-channel reflection seismic, magnetic, gravity and ROV surveys. To achieve these objectives, during the second half of 2014, three specific oceanographic cruises were carried out [Coltelli et al 2016, in this volume]. One of these cruises was performed between June 25 to July 3, 2014, on the catamaran hydrographic vessel (H/V) “Galatea” (Figure 1), provided by the Italian Navy within an agreement with the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica
ROV dives were scheduled on top of the Riposto Shoal, where some evidences of volcanics have been reported by Patanè et al [2009] and offshore Fondachello, where several morphological highs were identified through high-resolution bathymetries (Figure 2) and ROV observations by Chiocci et al [2011]
This paper focuses on the description of the acquisition procedures and processing methodologies of magnetic and ROV data collected during the 2014 H/V “Galatea” oceanographic cruise, showing some preliminary results

Summary

Introduction

The TOMO-ETNA experiment (seismic TOMOgraphy at Mt. ETNA volcano and surrounding areas) was carried out within the Task 5.3 “Mt. Etna structure” of the European project “MED-SUV” (MEDiterranean SUpersite Volcanoes - Long-term monitoring experiment in geologically active regions of Europe prone to natural hazards: the Supersite concept), performed with the resources of the European project “EUROFLEETS 2” [Ibáñez et al 2016a, in this volume]. The new magnetic data improve details and features of the volcanism offshore Etna coast, expanding the knowledge of this area already object of previous magnetic surveys [Del Negro and Napoli 2002; Figure 2.

Results

Conclusion