Expedition Investigates Moving South-Eastern Flank of Etna and Implications for Ionian Sea

A scientific expedition led by the Geomar oceanographic research center in Kiel (Germany) and the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology recently concluded after thirteen days of navigation off the coast of Catania. The main goal of the scientific cruise was to investigate the submerged portions of the south-eastern flank of Etna, which are constantly moving under the waters of the Mediterranean.

Alessandro Bonforte, an INGV researcher on board the expedition, explained that the slow but progressive movements of Etna have been monitored for several years. While these movements are usually not dangerous, they can become significant under certain conditions, leading to events like submarine landslides and earthquakes on the volcano’s eastern flank.

The international research team on the expedition aimed to understand whether the volcano’s southeastern flank is sliding towards the Ionian as a single block or in various portions. By using a variety of techniques such as collecting rock and sediment samples, mapping the seabed with sonar and drones, and conducting geodetic measurements, researchers were able to gather valuable data.

One of the most important aspects of this expedition was installing piezometers to measure pressure and temperature changes in the water near the fault line. This allowed researchers to anticipate movements in