Slab Detachment, Mantle Flow, and Crustal Collision in Eastern Sicily (Southern Italy): Implications on Mount Etna Volcanism

New geodynamic interpretations reveal that deep crustal shortening beneath Mount Etna, one of Europe's few active volcanoes, is driven by trench-parallel slab breakoff and fore-arc mantle flow. This tectonic inversion, marked by a large thrust-ramp structure, suggests that the opening of a gateway in the Ionian slab has allowed mantle mobilization, influencing magmatic source mixing and underplating processes beneath Etna. The study combines lithospheric reconstructions, seismicity analysis, and stress state modeling to argue that this compressional regime—contrasting with previous extensional conditions—significantly impacts Etna's volcanic dynamics, potentially indicating a transition toward decline. Comparisons with extinct southern Tyrrhenian volcanic systems further support these findings.

Barreca, G., Branca, S., Corsaro, R. A., Scarfì, L., Cannavò, F., Aloisi, M., Monaco, C., & Faccenna, C. (2020). Slab Detachment, Mantle Flow, and Crustal Collision in Eastern Sicily (Southern Italy): Implications on Mount Etna Volcanism. Tectonics, 39(9). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020tc006188