Tectonic features of the Lipari-Vulcano complex (Aeolian archipelago, Italy) from 10 years (1996-2006) of GPS data

Abstract

The tectonic deformation of the Lipari-Vulcano complex, one of the most important active volcanic areas of the Mediterranean region, is studied here through the analysis of 10 years (1996-2006) of GPS data from both three permanent and 13 non-permanent stations. This area can be considered crucial for the understanding of the interaction between the Eurasian and African plates in the Mediterranean area, and, in general, this work emphasizes a methodological approach, already applied in other areas worldwide (J. Geophys. Res., 1996, 101, 27 957; J. Geodyn., 1999, 27, 213) where geodetic data and strain parameters maps of critical areas can help to improve our understanding of their geodynamical aspects. In this framework, this study is aimed at providing a kinematic deformation model on the basis of the dense geodetically estimated velocities of the Lipari-Vulcano complex. In particular, the observed deformation pattern can be described by a combination of (1) the main N-S regional compression and (2) a NNE-SSW compression with a small right-lateral strike slip component acting along a tectonic structure trending N degrees 40W between the two islands. This pattern was inspected through a simplified synthetic model.