Vulcano
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Native name: Isola di Vulcano | |
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Geography | |
Location | Tyrrhenian Sea |
Coordinates | 38°23′58″N 14°57′50″E / 38.399434°N 14.963955°E |
Archipelago | Aeolian Islands |
Area | 21 km2 (8.1 sq mi) |
Length | 8 km (5 mi) |
Width | 4 km (2.5 mi) |
Administration | |
Region | Sicily |
Province | Metropolitan City of Messina |
Commune | Lipari |
Demographics | |
Population | 450 (2019) |
Vulcano (
Geography
Vulcano is located approximately 20 km (12 mi) north of Sicily and is approximately 8 km (5 mi) long by 4 km (2 mi) wide. The island is 21 km2 (8 sq mi) in area and rises to 501 m (1,644 ft)
As of 2019, Vulcano had a population of 450 residents, a decrease from a population of 953 in 2011. The majority of the population resides in Vulcano Porto on the north side of the island, with secondary population centres at Vulcano Piano and Vulcanello.
Geology
Vulcano | |
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Highest point | |
Elevation | 501 m (1,644 ft) |
Prominence | 501 m (1,644 ft) |
Geography | |
Location | Aeolian Islands, Italy |
Geology | |
Mountain type | Complex stratovolcanoes |
Last eruption | 1888 to 1890 |
Volcanic activity in the region is largely the result of
- At the southern end of the island are old stratovolcano cones, Monte Aria (501 m (1,644 ft)), Monte Saraceno (481 m (1,578 ft)), and Monte Luccia (188 m (617 ft)), which have partially collapsed into the Il Piano Caldera.
- The most recently active centre is the Gran Cratere at the top of the Fossa cone, the cone having grown in the Lentia Caldera in the middle of the island, and has had at least nine major eruptions in the last 6,000 years.
- At the north of the island is the islet, Vulcanello (123 m (404 ft)), connected to Vulcano by an isthmus that may be flooded in bad weather. It emerged from the sea during an eruption in 183 BCE, as a separate islet. Occasional eruptions from its three cones with both pyroclastic flow deposits and lavas occurred from then until 1550, with the last eruption creating a narrow isthmus connecting it to Vulcano.
Vulcano has been quiet since the eruption of the Fossa cone on 2 August 1888 to 22 March 1890,[2] which deposited about 5 m (16 ft) of pyroclastic material on the summit. The style of eruption seen on the Fossa cone is called a Vulcanian eruption, being the explosive emission of pyroclastic fragments of viscous magmas caused by the high viscosity preventing gases from escaping easily. This eruption of Vulcano was carefully documented at the time by Giuseppe Mercalli. Mercalli described the eruptions as "...explosions sounding like a cannon at irregular intervals..." As a result, vulcanian eruptions are based on his description. A typical vulcanian eruption can hurl blocks of solid material several hundreds of metres from the vent. Mercalli reported that blocks from the 1888–1890 eruption fell into the sea between Vulcano and neighboring Lipari, and several that had fallen on the island of Vulcano were photographed by him or his assistants.
Volcanic gas emissions from this volcano are measured by a multicomponent gas analyzer system, which detects degassing of rising magmas before an eruption, improving prediction of volcanic activity.[3]
A survey on local groundwater from 1995 to 1997 found temperatures of 49–75 °C, sodium sulfate-chloride chemical composition, and near neutral pH in the water wells closest to the slopes of the volcanic cone. This is mainly due to condensation onto the slopes of the volcanic cone and water-rock interaction buffering.[4][5]
Microbiology
Since Vulcano island has volcanic activity, it is a place where
History
Classical period
The
Similarly, the Romans believed that Vulcano was the chimney of their god Vulcan's workshop and, therefore, named the island after him. According to the Roman myths, the island had grown due to his periodic clearing of cinders and ashes from his forge. They also explained earthquakes that either preceded or accompanied the explosions of ash as being due to Vulcan making weapons for their god Mars for his armies to wage war.[8]
The Romans used the island mainly for raw materials, harvesting timber, and mining alum and sulfur. These were the principal activities on the island until the end of the nineteenth century.
Medieval
The first ascent of the volcanic cone is documented for the 13th century. The Dominican friar Burchard of Mount Sion, in his pilgrimage report to the Holy Land, tells of his return journey via Sicily, which probably took place in 1284. On Vulcano he had climbed the summit "crawling on his hands and feet".[9] His ascent can be considered authentic, as he reports in detail on his observations of the landscape and nature, for example describing the fumaroles or the diameter of the crater.
The island of Vulcano as well as the Aeolian Islands are already known to
Vulcano is also mentioned in the pilgrimage report (ca. 1350) by
Modern period
After
In popular culture
An asteroid is named for this island,
The American attorney and writer, Richard Paul Roe, asserts that the play The Tempest by William Shakespeare is set on the island of Vulcano, rather than the more authoritative interpretation that the setting was based on reports about Bermuda in the Americas because of the hurricane.[11]
In JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Battle Tendency, Joseph Joestar accidentally imbues Ripple energy into Vulcano, causing the volcano to erupt and launch Kars into outer space.[12]
See also
References
- ^ Vulcano, Sicily 8 Hidden Italian Islands Where You Can Escape the Crowds. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- ^ a b Tondo, Lorenzo (21 November 2021). "Italian island of Vulcano orders partial evacuation after increased activity". The Observer.
- .
- ^ Boschetti, Tiziano; Cortecci, Gianni; Bolognesi, Luca (2003). "Chemical and isotopic compositions of the shallow groundwater system of Vulcano Island, Aeolian Archipelago, Italy: an update". GeoActa. 2: 1–34.
- .
- ^ Fiala & Stetter, K. O., G (1986). "Pyrococcus furiosus sp. nov. represents a novel genus of marine heterotrophic archaebacteria growing optimally at 100°C". Archives of Microbiology. 145: 56–61.
- ^ Strabo Geographica 1.2.10
- ^ "CVO Menu – Volcanoes in Historical and Popular Culture". Vulcan.wr.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2013-08-26.
- ^ Mehr, Christian: Vor Petrarca: Die Bergbesteigung eines Mönchs auf Vulcano. Archiv für Kulturgeschichte 101 (2019), pp. 317-346.
- ^ "M.P.C. 26762 del 5 marzo 1996" (PDF). www.minorplanetcenter.net. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-06-207427-0.
- ISBN 978-1421578859.
Sources
- Ezio Giunta, dir. (2005). "Vulcano". Estateolie 2005 the Essential Guide (English Version of Tourist Guidebook): 80–87.
- "Vulcano". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2008-12-18.