Modeling the spatial distribution of AD 79 pumice fallout and pyroclastic density current and derived deposits of Somma-Vesuvius (Campania, Italy) integrating primary deposition and secondary redistribution

Abstract

The spatial distributions of primary deposits and related reworked ones from Plinian fallout and from pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) of the AD 79 eruption of Somma-Vesuvius were independently modeled for the Sarno River plain (Campania, Italy). The simulation takes into consideration both primary deposition of the volcanic products and their secondary redistribution by geomorphic processes of erosion, transport, and redeposition. We hypothesize that the pre-eruption topography controlled both the intial volcanic deposition of PDCs and the subsequent processes redistributing material of the pumice fallout and PDC deposits, and thus significantly controlled the thickness of the final volcaniclastic deposits. The methodology applied is based on a reconstructed pre-AD 79 digital elevation model of the Sarno River plain, an extensive tephrostratigraphic dataset from about 1,200 core drillings and a predictive modeling technique. The two models produce contrasting spatial distribution patterns for both the AD 79 deposits from fallout plus their derivates, versus from PDCs and their derivatives. The contrast allows determination of the most important factors controlling the thickness of the AD 79 volcaniclastic deposits. This provides new insights into the process dynamics during and immediately after the AD 79 Plinian eruption including primary deposition, erosion, and redistribution.