Chapter 12 Geological history of the Panarea volcanic group (eastern Aeolian archipelago)

The Panarea volcanic group is made up of dome-fields that are the subaerial culminations of a largely dissected volcanic complex mostly located below sea level. The correlation of marine isotope stage (MIS) 5 marine terrace deposits and numerous tephra layers, combined with the available radiometric ages, shows that the Panarea dome-fields mostly developed between c. 155– 149 and 124–118 ka through the emplacement of successive lava domes, lava flows and minor pyroclastic products, interrupted by dormant periods and episodes of faulting in a context of regional uplift, plus volcano-related deformation. Recurrent explosive phases subsequently occurred in the area of minor islets at c. 100 ka (Punta Falcone), 67–56 ka (p1) and 24–8.7 ka (Drauto), together with the emission of the c. 54 ka Basiluzzo dome. The Panarea volcanic group is presently in a quiescent state with fumarolic activity and episodic gas outbursts. Panarea rocks show basaltic andesite and high-K basaltic andesite to high-K dacite and rhyolite compositions, with minor shoshonites. Radiogenic isotope signatures range between those typical of the western Aeolian islands and Stromboli. This reveals a heterogeneous mantle source, which resulted from migration of more primitive asthenospheric mantle from the west during slab rollback, and its admixture with more strongly contaminated Stromboli-type resident mantle