Beneath the Mediterranean is a giant and “potentially dangerous” volcano

It was discovered by the Italian scientist Luigi Ferdinando Marsili (hence the name) in the 1920s, but has only been studied in detail since 2005 using the most advanced 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 a total area of ​​2,100 square kilometers, roughly equivalent to that 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 began to form landmasses, as in the Aeolian islands: Stromboli, Lipari, Salina, Filicudi, Alicudi, Panarea and Vulcano. But for each of these visible islands, there are 10 more volcanoes hidden under the sea.

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

In fact, Mount Marsili is active and a large number of small volcanic satellites develop next to it.

Possible landslide generating a tsunami

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

Like Magnaghi, Vavilov, and Palinuro, Marsili is considered one of the most dangerous conifers in this part of the Mediterranean. The volcano presents a similar risk of collapse as that at Vavilov.

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

This strong fluctuation may affect nearby and densely populated areas, Campania, Calabria and Sicily, especially during the tourist season.

Seismologist Enzo Boschi, former head of the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), said it was an active volcano and 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 displacement of the submerged rocks to create extreme waves.

In any case, the level of explosiveness is a matter of debate among experts. And this is the depth at which the volcano is difficult to explore.

Boiling water, first sign

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

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

While the possibility of an eruption has not been ruled out, INGV gives a message of calm about the results: “The risk associated with possible sea eruptions is extremely low and An explosion of more than 500 meters would probably only mean temporary diversion of transport routes”.

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

However, since the lack of sufficient scientific data about this volcano prevents reliable predictions about its hypothetical behavior, experts consider it necessary to continue studies about this volcano.

…..

Contact address of the environment department: crizclimatica@prensaiberica.es