Scaling characteristics of local geomagnetic field and seismicity at Etna volcano and their dynamics in relation to the eruptive activity

The evolution of scaling characteristics of the local geomagnetic field and of the seismicity at Etna volcano is studied in relation to the strong eruptive activity occurred here from 2000 to 2002. Scaling laws are found in the hourly time variability of magnetic data and in the seismicity pattern. The scaling exponents suggest the presence of persistent temporal fluctuations. Clear links between the dynamics of the measured data and the eruptive volcanic episodes are revealed. Fractal dimensions of seismicity seem to be always correlated to the beginning of main eruptive events, while strong alterations of the dynamics of the local magnetic field take place only when the eruptive fractures opened very close to the magnetic sites.