Recent eruptive history of Stromboli (Aeolian Islands, Italy) determined from high‐accuracy archeomagnetic dating

Abstract

The “large sample method” of archeomagnetic dating was applied to Stromboli. 127 samples (10 sites) yielded paleofield directions with 95% confidence intervals less than 2°. Coupled with a reference curve for secular variation in western Europe, these allow accurate dating of volcanic events. A lava flow underlying San Bartolo village gave a minimum age of AD 100 (±100); a lava overflow predating the last sector collapse was dated from 1350 (±60), suggesting the recent occurrence of highly hazardous events. Lava spatters and a hot avalanche high on the northern flank were emplaced during the XXth century; lava spatters on the lower flanks could date the onset of the still‐ongoing phase from AD 550 (±50). These results are different from those obtained in a recent study, probably because traditional paleomagnetic sampling cannot yield sufficient precision, considering the characteristics of the archeomagnetic secular variation curve.