Drone-Based Photogrammetry and Morphological Characterization of the Salse del Dragone Mud Volcanoes: Integrating Multidisciplinary Data for Future Exploration

This study investigates the Salse del Dragone mud volcanoes, located in the Apennine region of Italy, using an integrated approach that combines drone-based Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry, morphological analysis, and the integration of diverse datasets. The primary focus is on high-resolution terrain mapping and characterization through SfM-derived data. The observations were made using point-to-reference primitive distance thematic maps to emphasize the main features of the distributions of the measured points on the ground. Detailed surface features, including active gas emission points and surrounding topography, are thoroughly analyzed. The research also incorporates additional subsurface data obtained from passive seismic measurements, gas emission records, and satellite imagery to develop a comprehensive understanding of the area’s dynamics. These efforts aim to estimate the extruded mass volume and assess the spatial distribution of the phenomenon, which appears to be more extensive than previously thought. The study reveals significant morphological anomalies, highlighting the need for further investigation, which will soon be extended to neighboring areas. This research is part of the PROMUD project, funded by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).