Pantelleria island (Strait of Sicily): volcanic history and geomorphological landscape

Abstract

Pantelleria is a volcanic island located in the Strait of Sicily, 95 km far from the Sicilian coastline and 67 km from Cape Bon (Tunisia). The volcanological history of the island begins approximately 324 ka BP and the last eruptive event was a submarine eruption that occurred on 1891 A.D. Eruptive activity was characterized by seven very intense explosive events, the latest being the Green Tuff (44 ka). They have all produced ignimbrite sheets that covered large sectors of the island. The landscape of the island mirrors the variety of the eruptive styles and their interplay with volcano-tectonics. The most evident geomorphological features are represented by: (i) the mantle-like distribution of the Green Tuff ignimbrite; (ii) the arcuate remnants of the two large caldera collapses, and (iii) the intracalderic scoria cones, lava domes and lava fields. A very dense distribution of dry walls, built since Roman times, perfectly integrate the volcanic landscape, preventing from erosion and rock falls.