This is the giant and “potentially dangerous” volcano at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea.

It was discovered around 1920 by the Italian scientist Luigi Ferdinando Marsili (hence the name), but from 2005 it was studied in detail with the most complex methods. However, many of its secrets still resist being unraveled by science.

Its size is truly impressive, as the volcanic cone rises about 3,000 meters above the seafloor and its top reaches just 450 meters below the sea surface. Its base is 70 kilometers long and The total area of ​​2100 square kilometers is roughly equal to the size of the island of Tenerife.

It is just one of many volcanoes located off the northern coast of Sicily and the west coast of southern Italy. Some came to form the resulting landmasses, as in the case of the Aeolian Islands: Stromboli, Lipari, Salina, Filicudi, Alicudi, Panarea, and Vulcano. However, for each of these visible islands, 10 more volcanoes remain hidden under the sea.

Experts agree to consider it a potentially dangerous volcano because It will be able to create a tsunami of 20 meters high that will affect the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

In fact, Mount Marsili is active and numerous small satellite volcanoes develop alongside it.

Possible landslide generating a tsunami

According to research, the last eruption of the volcano occurred a few thousand years ago. Today, activity is still detectable, but limited to soft rumbles with gas emissions and low-energy jolts.

Like Magnaghi, Vavilov and Palinuro, Marsili is considered one of the most dangerous cones in this part of the Mediterranean. The volcano shows a similar risk of collapse to what happened at Vavilov.

It has been proven that exhibits significant instability. especially in part of its top, it turned out to be composed of low-density rocks, strongly weakened by the hydrothermal action present in the area. This is not excluded, therefore, massive landslides that would create this hypothetical tsunami.

These strong waves can affect the nearby and densely populated areas of Campania, Calabria and Sicily, especially during the tourist season.

Seismologist Enzo Boschi, former head of Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), explained that it is an active volcano and it is an active volcano. It can explode at any time.

In any case, the risk is represented not by its eruption, which will be neutralized by the water about 500 meters above its summit, but by the movement of the submerged rocks, which will create extreme waves.

In any case, the level of explosiveness is a matter of debate among experts. And the depth at which the volcano is located makes research difficult.

Boiling water, first sign

INGV, in the event of an explosion, the only sign visible on the surface would be boiling water, Regarding gas emission from the cone, as in October 2011 on the island of El Hierro in the Canary Islands.

“The only markings on the surface will be the product of boiling water, degassing and buoyancy of the volcanic material (pumice stone) that will remain suspended for weeks,” says the Italian volcanic institute named after.

While the possibility of an eruption cannot be ruled out, INGV is publishing a reassuring message on its results: “The risk associated with possible sea eruptions is extremely low and An explosion of more than 500 meters would probably mean a temporary diversion of sea routes”.

However, if part of the volcanic cone collapses, the aforementioned tsunami can be produced, given the large volume of water that will be displaced. “The possibility that sectors of the volcano will become unstable and collapse due to deformations caused by the uplift of significant amounts of magma cannot be ruled out in advance,” says INGV.

However, the lack of sufficient scientific data on this volcano precludes the publication of a reliable estimate of its hypothetical behavior, so experts consider it necessary to continue to conduct studies on it.

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Environment department contact address:crisclimatica@prensaiberica.es