page_title: 2002 Stromboli tsunami
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: 2002 Stromboli tsunami / History
caption_attribution_description: This is a map of the Aeolian Islands off the coast of Sicily, Italy in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The map shows the location of the islands of Salina, Lipari, Vulcano, Alicudi, Filicudi, Panarea, Basiluzzo, and Stromboli. Blank version available at Image:Aeolian Islands blank map.png. Created by NormanEinstein.
context_page_description: The 2002 Stromboli tsunami was a tidal wave caused by a volcanic eruption on the island of Stromboli, in the Aeolian Islands of Sicily, located on the Tyrrhenian Sea. In May 2002, one of the island's two active volcanoes, called Stromboli, entered a new phase of explosive activity that was initially characterized by gas and ash emission from the summit craters. On December 30, 2002, the seismic network recorded two large collapses of a huge portion of the Sciara del Fuoco, which resulted in the tsunamis. The first landslide was around 13:15 and the second one around 13:23 which lasted for 5–7 minutes. The event caused damages on the eastern coast side of Stromboli and Panarea. These tsunamis have been considered the most violent ones that have struck Stromboli in the past 100 years.
context_section_description: Significant phenomena affected Stromboli during its fifth life cycle between 13,000 and 4000 BP (Neostromboli). After the major eruptive phase ended about 7500–7000 years ago, the volcano has been affected by massive collapses, until it had reached its maximum expansion of the north sector for a period which lasted 3000 years. These were the most recent landslides which led to the formation of the Sciara del Fuoco, a steep slope formed by lava, lapillus and incandescent waste, which descends from the crater of Stromboli (750 m above sea level) to the sea.
  Since May 2002, Stromboli was characterized by a high explosive activity at 100m above the summit craters. In November the level of the lava located in the craters was very high, which resulted in an overflow in the upper part of the Sciara del Fuoco, which has increased Strombolian activity and has caused several explosions in the early December as well. The heights of ejecta were intense at Crater 1. Afterward, it reached 200m above Crater 1, and the explosions left magma closely to the crater's rim. At local time 18.30 (UTC+1) on December 28, a not usual activity characterized by a 300m long eruptive break occurred, causing the break of the northern wall of Crater 1, displacing the North West upper eastern part of the Sciara del Fuoco wall. The lava flows were steep, two of them came out from the base and one from the middle of the break. It covered a 400m unstable surface. The first flow reached the sea, which was about 1,1 km away, in 30 minutes. Significant volcanic activity changes did not occur, a volcanic tremor started to increase. 12 hours later two new gaps opened at about 500m and 600m high causing the start of two lava flows.
  In the morning of December 29, the lava flows along the Sciara del Fuoco were no longer fueled and two horizontal cracks opened on the surface, which were the evidence of the continuous failure. On December 30, the two-gap at 500m and 600m were being fueled once more, so lava flows started again. These flows went along the December 28 cracks while cutting through it. There was only ash emission, but it was not provoked by explosive activity, it was caused by frictional sliding. This revealed the concept of their formation, which started from 500m at the eastern wall of the Sciara del Fuoco and went down on the slope. 20 minutes later new brakes opened on the west side at about 500m, which defined the border of the upcoming landslides that formed a few hours later. The gaps were filled with a massive mass of rock, and probably because of the difference of the rocks in the middle resulted in the two rock's part failure that provoked two different landslides. The first part crashed into the sea at 13.14.05 and the second one at 13.22.38. These caused two tsunamis, that can be felt at Panarea Island, which is 20 km away from Stromboli. It took 6–7 minutes to reach them and it was visible for 10s. That was the first time a tsunami was recorded on the island. Many minor landslides and collapses occurred, including the two major landslides resulted in 6–8 Hz frequency content.
caption: Aeolian Islands map.
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