A buried volcano in the Calabrian Arc (Italy) revealed by high‐resolution aeromagnetic data

Aeromagnetic data collected between the Aeolian volcanoes (southern TyrrhenianSea) and the Calabrian Arc (Italy) highlight a WNW‐ESE elongated positive magneticanomaly centered on the Capo Vaticano morphological ridge (Tyrrhenian coast ofCalabria), characterized by an apical, subcircular, flat surface. Results of forwardand inverse modeling of the magnetic data show a 20 km long and 3–5 km widemagnetized body that extends from sea floor to about 3 km below sea level. The magneticproperties of this body are consistent with those of the medium to highly evolvedvolcanic rocks of the Aeolian Arc (i.e., dacites and rhyolites). In the Calabria mainland,widespread dacitic to rhyolitic pumices with calc‐alkaline affinity of Pleistocene age(1–0.7 Ma) are exposed. The tephra falls are related to explosive activity and show adecreasing thickness from the Capo Vaticano area southeastward. The presence of lithicsindicates a provenance from a source located not far from Capo Vaticano. The combinedinterpretation of the magnetic and available geological data reveal that (1) the CapoVaticano WNW‐ESE elongated positive magnetic anomaly is due to the occurrenceof a WNW‐ESE elongated sill; (2) such a sill represents the remnant of the plumbingsystem of a Pleistocene volcano that erupted explosively producing the pumice tephraexposed in Calabria; and (3) the volcanism is consistent with the Aeolian products,in terms of age, magnetic signature, and geochemical affinity of the erupted products,.The results indicate that such volcanism developed along seismically active faultstransversal to the general trend of the Aeolian Arc and Calabria block, in an area whereuplift is maximized (∼4 mm/yr). Such uplift could also be responsible for fragmentationof the upper crust and formation of transversal faults along which seismic activity andvolcanism occur.