Geomechanical characterization of the volcaniclastic material involved in the 2002 landslides at Stromboli

During the 2002 eruption, the NW flank of Stromboli volcano Southern Italy experienced large landslides that produced tsunami waves with a maximum runup of 10 m in height. This paper focuses on the geomechanical behavior of the loose volcaniclastic layers, the weakest component of the deposit forming the volcano flank. Tests on the coarse-grained volcaniclastic soil and on the rock material forming the grains were conducted in dry conditions, a feature of the subaerial slope. The rock material, in spite of its high porosity, exhibits relatively high stiffness and strength due to the remarkable continuity of the solid skeleton. Accordingly, the volcaniclastic soil is characterized by high shear strength. During shear tests, however, significant grain crushing occurs, which partly explains the nonlinear shear strength envelope and the strain softening associated with contractive behavior. Grain crushing was also found to affect compressibility and its time dependency, investigated under oedometric conditions.