DInSAR Analysis and Analytical Modeling of Mount Etna Displacements: The December 2018 Volcano-Tectonic Crisis

We investigate the 24-27 December 2018 eruption of Mount Etna occurred from fissures located on the volcano eastern flank and accompanied by a seismic swarm, which was triggered by the magma intrusion and continued for weeks after the end of the eruption. Moreover, this swarm involved some of the shallow volcano-tectonic structures located on the Mount Etna flanks and culminated on 26 December with the strongest event (M-L 4.8), occurred along the Fiandaca Fault. In this work, we analyze seismological data and Sentinel-1 Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) measurements, the latter inverted through analytical modeling. Our results suggest that a dike source intruded, promoting the opening of the eruptive fissures fed by a shallower dike. Moreover, our findings indicate that the activation of faults in different sectors of the volcano may be considered as a response to accommodate the deformations induced by the magma volumes injection.