The Aeolian Islands, Italy

Abstract

The Aeolian Archipelago lies in the Tyrrhenian Sea between Italy and Sicily. It consists of seven main islands, all steep-sided volcanoes either active or dormant, with six offshore islets. The volcanic landforms represent classic features of two of the six types of volcanic eruptions, the “Vulcanian” and the “Strombolian,” with a history of volcanic island building and destruction and ongoing volcanic phenomena. The easily accessible occurrence within a small area of so many volcanic processes and landforms provides a natural museum and study site. The islands have been well studied, documented, and monitored since the eighteenth century and continue to provide a rich field for volcanological studies and related geomorphology.