Submarine structure of Vulcano volcano (Aeolian Islands) revealed by high-resolution bathymetry and seismo-acoustic data

A new definition of the morpho-structural submarine setting of the Vulcano volcano is presented based on the integration of multibeam swath bathymetry, high-resolution seismic profiles and sea-floor sampling. A number of unknown volcanic features have been mapped on the submarine flanks of Vulcano Island as volcanic outcrops and isolated cones. For most of them a relatively old age is suggested (especially to the west of the island), while evidence of relatively recent volcanic activity characterizes the north-eastern submarine sector, offshore Vulcanello. The morphology and distribution of these features, either aligned along NNW-SSE trends or radially elongated, suggest the prevalence of regional structural control or local stresses related to the volcano structure, respectively, in the different sectors of the volcanic edifice. Shallow-water (