Tsunami risk perception along the Tyrrhenian coasts of Southern Italy: the case of Marsili volcano

Abstract

The Marsili volcano is the largest known seamount in Europe, located in the Marsili Basin (Aeolian Arc, Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). The Marsili seamount shows a high probability to generate a volcanogenic tsunami in the near future, and the coasts of Southern Italy could be affected by this event. We conducted a qualitative risk perception analysis by distributing a questionnaire at the population from three different regions that are surrounded by the Tyrrhenian Sea. Data from questionnaires were analyzed in order to understand the tsunami risk perception of the population. Our data were compared with a probabilistic tsunami scenario due to a Marsili seamount flank collapse. Results underlined the need for a proposed campaign that aimed at informing the Southern Italy population about tsunami risk and the phenomena that can potentially generate a tsunami event.