Vulcanology and Petrography

Melluso, D’Antonio, Fedele, Franciosi, Petrosino, Scarpati, Cucciniello

Researchers of DiSTAR are involved in detailed studies of products of selected Phlegrean and Vesuvian eruptions aimed at defining their eruptive and depositional mechanisms, and more generally of products of Quaternary volcanoes of the Campania region through a petrographic, mineralogical and petro-chemical characterization. Modeling on calderas’ formation, eruptive mechanisms of strombolian, sub-Plinian, Plinian and phreato-Plinian eruptions, eruptive dynamics of proximal lithic breccias, transport and emplacement of pyroclastic currents is carried out with particular attention to the evaluation of the impact of products of explosive eruptions on urban areas.

Petrology and Petrography make full use of a great variety of tools to provide an understanding of the causes for the great diversity of the rocks found on the surface (igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary) and to try to obtain some insights on the nature of the rocks and processes which characterize the deepest portions of the Earth that are not accessible to direct observation.

The DiSTAR research group in Petrology and Petrography is involved in numerous research studies dealing mainly with the study of the genesis of igneous (and subordinately metamorphic) rocks occurring in numerus areas all over the world.