Abstract
THE present eruption sequence of Mt Etna began during September 1989 with extensive fracturing, and culminated in 1991–93 with the largest lava eruption this century1. Here we present measurements of gravity and ground deformation which, in conjunction with seismic data, provide a detailed record of the processes occurring before and during eruption. These reflect a complex interplay between magma injection into the paths of lowest compressive stress through the volcano flanks, forcing elastic deformation, and fracture growth in response to gravitational stresses. We find that after the end of the eruptive activity in 1989, fractures in the south-southeast flank of the volcano remained unfilled until some months before the 1991–93 eruption. These results indicate the utility of microgravity monitoring, as the precursory processes that we identify were largely undetected by seismic and ground deformation monitoring.
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Rymer, H., Murray, J., Brown, G. et al. Mechanisms of magma eruption and emplacement at Mt Etna between 1989 and 1992. Nature 361, 439–441 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/361439a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/361439a0
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