Vulcano

The analysis of monitoring data showed increases in concentrations, fluxes and temperatures of volcanic gases released by fumaroles from the crater area, an extension of the area of emission, and an increase in low energy seismicity. The analysis of the ground deformations recorded via satellite also showed an uplift in the summit area of the volcano of approximately 1 cm. Since the first days of October, the outgassing activity spread from the ground has registered a continuous increase and the daily average values detected in the area at the base of the volcanic cone are much higher than those recorded at the early stages of the crisis. 

Since mid-December, diffuse outgassing activity from the ground started to show a decrease; at present, values are stable but high. Local seismicity is generally decreasing and stable ground deformation is observed via ground and satellite.

On October 1, 2021, the Department of Civil Protection, after hearing the opinion of the National Commission for the Forecast and Prevention of Major Risks - Volcanic Risk, has raised the alert level from "Green - Quiescence" to "Yellow - Minor Surface Hydrothermal Crisis". Accordingly:  

• Volcanic monitoring and surveillance by the INGV and other Centers of expertise has been strengthened;  
• The information exchange between the scientific community and the other components and operational structures of the National Service has been strengthened; 
• Civil protection planning updating at various territorial and national levels. 

Temporarily reinforced the garrisons of the Fire Brigade, the Regional Forestry Corps and the Coast Guard, the Continuity of Care Services on all the Aeolian Islands to ensure the right health care in case of need. 

Due to the increase in the gas emissions from the ground, the Ordinance n. 124 of November 20, 2021 of the Mayor of Lipari has forbidden, for 30 days, the overnight stay and the stay in the area of Vulcano Porto and in adjacent areas. It was also provided for the ban on access to the island to non-residents and recommended the use of self-protection measures because of the levels of gas. The measures contained in the ordinance were subsequently updated according to the evolution of the situation. 

As provided for in Ordinance No. 14 of January 29, 2022, the restriction to some areas of the island remains and other mitigation measures are still in place, particularly for fragile citizens.

For all updates you can consult the website of the City of Lipari.

The Decree of the Head of Department of December 6, 2021 formalizes the Technical Group for the environmental monitoring of volcanic gases and air quality. The group, which began work on November 24, consists of representatives of the following organizations: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Inail, Ingv, Ispra, Arpa Sicilia, Regional Department of Civil Protection, Department of Health Activities and Epidemiological Observatory of Sicily Region, Provincial Health Agency of Messina, Municipality of Lipari. The activities of the Group ended on January 31, 2022.

The daily monitoring data of air quality are available on the website of ARPA Sicily.

In view of the high concentrations of volcanic gases in the air, the Council of Ministers, during the meeting of December 29, 2021, resolved the declaration of a state of emergency lasting 6 months to allow the implementation of the most urgent interventions to protect the residents of the island.
 

Every month, the Civil Protection Department organizes videoconferences with the Centers of Competence responsible for monitoring volcanic activity on Vulcano: the Catania and Palermo sections of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (Ingv) and the CNR IREA. The Department of Civil Protection of the Sicilian Region also participates in the videoconferences.

According to the phenomena and risk assessments made available by the Centers of Competence, the Department of Civil Protection declares the levels of alert and operational phases in close collaboration with the structure of civil protection of the Sicilian Region.

At the end of the videoconferences, the Department issues a document in which the results of the videoconferences are reported.

Currently the level of alert for the Vulcano is green.

Alert levels. Alert levels describe the state of volcano activity and whether the volcano is in a state of equilibrium or not. They are identified by combining monitoring parameters and data from any ongoing events.

They are represented through four colors - green, yellow, orange and red - indicating the possible evolution of the volcano's activity status towards event "of national importance", which require extraordinary means and powers, through the coordinated intervention of a plurality of subjects (art.7, paragraph 1 letter c of Legislative Decree 1/2018 "Civil Protection Code"). In particular:  

• the green alert level indicates that the volcano is in a state of equilibrium;
• the yellow alert level indicates the state of potential disequilibrium of the volcano;
• the orange alert level indicates that the volcano is in a state of unbalance;
• the red alert level indicates that the volcano is strongly unbalanced.

In this regard, it is worth noting that on the island of Vulcano, even with "green" alert, the risk is still present due to the intrinsic and peculiar characteristics of the unpredictability of some of its phenomena, such as the explosive phreatic activity and the exhalation of gas (especially CO2 and H2S near the emission zones at sea, in topographically depressed areas or in closed places).

Volcano is in a resting condition characterized by outgassing activity and microseismicity.

Toxic gas release. Currently, the main risk is represented by the release of toxic gases - CO, CO2, H2S, HNO, SO2 - which rise from fractures in the soil. For this reason the activity of Vulcano is monitored 24 hours a day by a network of instruments set up by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology-Ingv.

Carbon dioxide, denser than air, in the absence of wind tends to accumulate at ground level where it can reach very high concentrations, and being colorless, odorless and tasteless is hardly recognizable. At low concentrations it can cause: increased respiratory activity, nausea, visual disturbances and for high concentrations asphyxiation.

Associated to CO2 it is also possible to find another highly toxic gas, hydrogen sulfide - H2S - which however, thanks to its characteristic strong smell of rotten eggs, is immediately perceivable by the olfactory system even if present in low concentration. This gaseous component at low concentrations exerts an irritating action on the respiratory system.

For the presence of toxic gases and the difficulties connected to the ascent to the crater, the excursion activity of Vulcano is regulated by an ordinance of the Mayor of Lipari.

Landslides. Another type of risk related indirectly to volcanic activity is represented by landslides. The cone of La Fossa presents, in fact, even in ordinary conditions, an unstable nature due to the high inclination of the slopes and the action of gas and fumaroles that tend to decrease the cohesion of the rocks. In particular, in the slope overlooking the Forgia and in the eastern slopes of the island in the past there have been some small but significant landslides.

The danger induced by the sudden sliding of rocks could be aggravated by the formation of tsunami caused by the entry of landslides of greater dimensions into the sea.

Volcano has a multi-parameter monitoring system that constantly monitors the significant parameters of volcanic activity. The network is composed of different systems: seismic, geochemical, soil deformation (Gps, clinometric), gravimetric, visual with optical and thermal cameras. In addition, satellite monitoring of ground deformation is carried out.

The civil protection activities for Vulcano are:

Prevision

The state of activity of Vulcano is monitored 24 hours a day by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology. Through a network of instruments and periodic campaigns. The Institute carries out continuous measurements of various parameters that allow the timely recognition of the eventual onset of phenomena that indicate the reactivation of the volcano.

In particular, the monitoring system is composed of:

• Geochemical stations for the measurement of fumarole temperatures and fluid composition;
• Geodetic, Gps and clinometric stations for the detection of ground deformations;
• Seismic stations for the monitoring of simic events and phenomena associated with fluid dynamics;
• Gravimetric stations, for the measurement of temporal variations of gravity related to a redistribution of masses;
• Thermal camera, for direct observation of phenomena and temperature variations of the volcanic building;
• Meteorological station, for measuring environmental parameters.

Prevention and mitigation

The Department has collaborated with the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology and the local authorities to the realization of the map of the paths of Vulcano. The guide indicates to the visitors the most interesting places from the landscape and volcanological point of view and it also provides useful information on the rules of behavior to keep in order to avoid possible dangers also during hiking activities at the crater.
 

The National Civil Protection Plan for the volcanic risk on the island of Vulcano* has been prepared by the Department of Civil Protection in collaboration with the Regional Department of Civil Protection of the Sicilian Region, the Prefecture-Territorial Office of the Government of Messina and the Municipality of Lipari between the months of October and November 2021.

The document describes the main activities to implement in case of national level of coordination of the National Service of Civil Protection to deal with volcanic events on the island of Vulcano. These activities are integrated with the activities foreseen by the Municipal, Provincial and Regional Civil Protection Plans.

In particular, the National Plan provides for instructions allowing:

• the activation of procedures for the declaration of operational phases (attention, pre-alarm and alarm) and the implementation of the consequent actions; 
• the removal of the population from the island of Vulcano; 
• the management of communication and information activities to the population. 

The Plan includes the following annexes: 
Annex 1 - Alert Levels 
Annex 2 - Maritime accessibility 
Annex 3 - Air accessibility 
Annex 4 - Radio coverage "DPC-Eolie2". 
Annex 5 - Civil protection signals for Vulcano Island 

The National Plan and the territorial plans are tested during the national exercise Vulcano 2022 held from 7 to 9 April 2022.

The National Plan for volcanic risk on the island of Vulcano*, pending the adoption measure, was formally shared on December 7, 2021 with: the Civil Protection Operational Committee, Sicilian Region, Prefecture of Messina, Municipality of Lipari and National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology- Ingv. The document has also been shared with the National Commission major risks.
 

The excursion activity is regulated by an ordinance of the Mayor of Lipari. The ascent to the crater of the Fossa even if it doesn't present particular difficulties is an excursion that can be tiring for the slope and the heat; for this reason it should be faced only in good physical conditions.

During the summer season it is advisable to avoid the excursion in the hottest hours, being the path completely exposed to the sun. In order to undertake this excursion it is necessary to equip oneself with water, clothes and adequate shoes. It is also forbidden to leave the paths, remove rocks, minerals and protected flora species. It is advisable, before undertaking the excursion, to get information by visiting the Disclosure Center of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology-Ingv.

On this website it is available the map of the paths realized by the Department of Civil Protection in collaboration with Ingv and local authorities.

The construction of the island of Vulcano began about 130 thousand years ago with the formation of the Primordial Volcano, a central cone whose evolution culminated with a great sinking that led to the formation of the caldera of Piano about 100 thousand years ago.

The activity resumed a little to the north with the formation of the lava reliefs of Lentia. This phase also ended with the formation of a new depression - the Caldera della Fossa - as a result of two collapses occurred respectively around 50 thousand and 15 thousand years ago.

It followed the construction of the cone of the Pit whose beginning goes back to approximately 6 thousand years ago. The formation of Vulcanello, probably in the Middle Ages, represents the last important act of construction of the island.

The historical eruptions occurred in the crater of the Fossa and Vulcanello.

The volcanic activity of La Fossa has an episodic character with eruptive episodes, even of strong intensity, which alternate with long periods of rest. The last eruption occurred at La Fossa, dates back to 1888-1890 and was characterized by repeated typical explosions of medium-high energy called precisely "volcanic", which generated pyroclastic flows and the fall of ash and bombs "bread crust" of centimeter to metric size on the entire area of La Fossa up to about 2 km away.