Vulcano (Sicily)

Vulcano is a complex stratovolcano in the Mediterranean. It is located on the island of the same name in the Aeolian archipelago. The word volcano, used for geologically active mountains, derives from the name of this mountain and island, which in turn owe their name to the Roman god of fire, Vulcano, who resided, according to classical mythology, on the island.
Like all Italian volcanoes, it was formed due to the movement of the African plate; when it moves northward, it exerts strong pressure on the Eurasian plate. The Vulcano reaches an altitude of 386 meters. It rises as a hill formation in the island's center, near Porto Levante. The slope has remnants of various types (sandy landscape, porous pumice-type formations, and the presence of more glassy oxydian-type remnants). The vegetation decreases as altitude progresses. At mid-altitudes, only gorse grows; near the main crater, the ground is completely bare.
It is the main one, about 500 m in diameter. The rim is located at an elevation of 386 m but is surrounded by slopes leading to greater heights (Lentia Mountains).
In the vicinity of the Great Pit Crater are the remains of two other craters:
In addition to the Grand Crater, Old Vulcano, and the Lentia, a peripheral complex is recalled: in fact, next to the island of Vulcano are the cones of Volcanello [it], joined to the island of Vulcano by an isthmus called the Isthmus of Vulcano [it].
Vulcano has produced half a dozen devastating eruptions over the past millennia. The Fossa crater has been active at irregular intervals since ancient times, as documented by classical writers (especially Thucydides in the fifth century B.C.). At this time, there appears to have been such strong eruptive activity that it was audible as far as Sicily. After this date, the Fossa crater began a prolonged phase of rest.
In the second century B.C., next to the island of Vulcano, the new crater of Vulcanello emerged from the waters, which, erupting, gave rise to a small island located next to the mother island. This eruption, too, was documented in classical antiquity with great mastery of dramatic style. As for the island of Vulcano, it seems that there the resting phase of the Great Crater lasted until the sixth century A.C.
Between 1727 and 1739, the activity of the Grand Crater resumed; following this eruptive awakening, the lava flow of fired stones (obsidian) was observed. Spilled ash fell on Lipari, Salina, Stromboli, and the Sicilian coast opposite. Further eruptions are also documented in 1771 and 1783.
The last eruption occurred between 1888 and 1890. The latter was heralded in 1886 by a phreatic eruption (i.e., caused by steam formed as a result of water heating). The last eruptions in this series were of the Vulcano type: so-called bread crust bombs (solidified lava) and ash were catapulted from the Great Crater. An expedition of researchers was organized by the government. In particular, the eruption was documented by the famous seismologist Mercalli.
Since the time of the last violent eruption, only fumarole activity has been recorded volcanic exhalations consisting of the production of steam and volcanic gases. In the case of Vulcano, it is mainly sulfur, which, thanks to the action of bacteria, contributes to the formation of a colored patina on the surfaces of soil and stones.
The activity of fumaroles has been documented for centuries and has continued in alternating phases to the present day. While it was very modest in the 1970s, there was increased activity at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s that raised serious concerns.
On the beach at Porto Levante, the water and mud are heated by the heat of sulfur dioxide produced by the weaker fumaroles. This small coastal area has long been famous for bathing: mud baths on Vulcano have a reputation for benefiting the skin and having therapeutic effects.
Starting in the summer of 2021 and that of September, there has been an increase in fumarole activity, with a rise in the temperature of the gases and the amount of CO2 and SO2 in them, as well as an increase in microseismic activity. For this reason, the Civil defense [it] raised the volcanic alert level from green to yellow starting in October. Following a subsequent decrease in these phenomena, the alert level was returned to green in December 2023.
The ascent to the Vulcano is done on foot, starting from Porto Levante. The ascent to the Grand Crater, for people in normal physical condition, requires neither enormous effort nor the accompaniment of a guide (elderly people and people sensitive to sulfur gases may complain of great difficulty). It is inadvisable to get too close to the fumaroles. Before the descent back to Porto Levante, the excursion can be completed by a tour around the crater.