Lipari
Lipari, the largest of the Aeolian Islands with just under 38 square kilometers in area, occupies a central position in the Aeolian archipelago. Its irregular shape elongated in a north-south direction is related to the numerous eruptive centers that constitute it. The highest points are Mount Chirica (602 m) and Mount S.Angelo (594 m) in the northern and central parts of the island, respectively.
The island's prehistoric events are closely linked to its volcanic nature. Indeed, in the Neolithic period it reached great importance and wealth thanks to obsidian, a volcanic glass formed by the rapid cooling of effusive rocks of the acid type, which represented the sharpest material then known and was used to make weapons and tools for everyday domestic use.
Lipari is an active and quiescent volcanic system, as evidenced by weak hydrothermal activity in the western part of the island as well as the occurrence of explosive/effusive eruptions in late Roman and medieval times.
The morphology of Lipari Island is the result of a series of effusive and explosive eruptions that contributed to the formation of its volcanic structures, as well as erosion processes that have reshaped its terrain and coastline. Lipari is the exposed part of a volcanic structure that extends approximately 1,000 meters below sea level.
Geological studies of the surface indicate that volcanic activity can be divided into three distinct eruptive cycles, interspersed with periods of inactivity.
Submarine deposits, primarily found along the island’s western coast, date back to the activity of the first period, around 200,000 years ago.
After a period of inactivity, the second eruptive cycle began between 130,000 and 125,000 years ago, characterized by predominantly explosive activity at Monte S. Angelo, with the emission of lava and pyroclastic flows from the Monte Chirica volcano (Costa d'Agosto). The end of this period was marked by a volcano-tectonic subsidence that gave rise to a caldera located between the southern part of Lipari and the northern part of Vulcano.
After a further period of dormant volcanic activity, the third eruptive cycle began around 40,000 years ago, characterized by intense explosive activity followed by the emission of degassed lava, which led to the formation of the lava domes of Monte Guardia and Monte Giardina in the southern part of the island. Following further alternations between periods of inactivity and eruptive activity, the intense explosive activity between 11,000 and 8,000 years ago led to the formation, in the northeastern tip of the island, of large deposits of pumice, separated from one another by an obsidian flow emerging along the slope of Monte Pilato.
Lipari’s volcanic activity ended, in historical times, between 500 and 1230 AD, with the emission of the obsidian flows of Rocche Rosse and Forgia Vecchia, which flowed from the pumice cone of Monte Pilato.
From an unknown period between the 7th and 13th centuries AD, Lipari has been in a dormant state, with volcanic activity limited to fumaroles and hot springs reaching temperatures above 50°C.
A type of risk indirectly linked to volcanic activity is landslides. In fact, some slopes are unstable even under normal conditions due to their steep incline.
In addition to the danger posed by the sudden sliding of rock masses, an additional hazard can be the formation of tsunami waves caused by large landslides reaching the sea.
The agencies responsible for monitoring volcanic activity on the island of Lipari are the Catania and Palermo sections of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).
The network includes systems for monitoring seismic activity and ground deformation. Periodic measurements and sampling of water and gas are also conducted.