Deep-Seated Spreading Model Tested on Etna Mount with FEM

F. Pulvirenti[1,2], M. Aloisi[1], M. Mattia[1], and C. Monaco[2]
[1]Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia sezione di Catania
[2]Università di Catania
Published in 2008

Structural, morphological and ground deformation studies suggest that the eastern flank of Mt. Etna (eastern Sicily) is spreading seaward.  According to the deep-seated spreading model, both the volcanic edifice and its uppermost basement are spreading eastwards because of magma inflation processes related to a dike complex located at a depth between the summit craters and the Valle del Bove.

In this work, in order to test the deep-seated spreading model, we carried out a finite element simulation performed with the COMSOL Multiphysics software.

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