This is the introductory chapter of the book "Volcanoes: geological and geophysical setting, theoretical aspects and numerical modelling, applications to industry and their impact on the human health". In this chapter, the research themes studied in this book have been introduced referring to the geological and geophysical setting of volcanoes, pertaining, in particular, the correlation between seismic and volcanic activity in volcanic edifices of Southern Italy (Somma-Vesuvius) carried out to a regional scale, the volcanic emissions of the submarine edifice of the Tagoro volcano (Canary Islands, Atlantic Ocean) and the corresponding implications on the chemical and physical properties of the oceanic water, the volcanological studies on the base of the volcanoes and the discovery of a new volcanic edifice, namely the Hiyamizuyama volcano, allowing to evaluate the long-term variations of volcanic and magmatic processes in the north-eastern Japan, the volcanic eruptions in Indonesia, a land hosting 147 volcanoes (76 active volcanoes) spreading along the islands of Java, Lesser Sunda, Sumatra and Celebes and mostly characterized by stratovolcanoes and finally, the geologic, petrographic and geodynamic study of the layered gabbroids of the Pekulney Ridge, a complex volcanic structure located in the north-eastern Russia. Moreover, in this book, significant theoretical aspects and numerical modelling of volcanoes have been addressed, including, in particular, the volcanic dynamics of the convective heat and of the mass transfer in the seismo-focal areas of the Kamchatka Region, including the related volcanic arcs, the modelling of the elastic deformation of volcanoes through the development of computational tools for inverse analyses of geodetic data, which have evidenced the mechanical complexity of the volcanic systems and finally, the mechanical aspects of the magmatic chambers and their relationships with the fluxing of CO2, referring to the Yellowstone magmatic chamber, whose large volume has required additional large volumes of magmas and fluids in order to trigger the volcanic eruption. In this book, significant applications of volcanic studies to industry have also been presented, focusing, in particular, on the use of volcanic scorias and natural pozzolans as cement replacement in the construction industry based on the concrete mixes by analyzing their setting times, the compressive strength, the water permeability and the chloride penetrability and moreover, on the use of volcanic glasses as adsorbents for industrial aims and scopes, being materials displaying a low thermal conductivity, a low density and a high resistance to the fire and perlite aggregate plasters. The volcanic glasses have also been often used as starting materials in the synthesis of clay minerals, as the smectites and the zeolites. The impact of volcanoes on the human health is significant, referring to both the volcanic deposits and to the volcanic emissions. In this book, the impact of the volcanic emissions on the human health has been mainly examined, highlighting that the exposure to volcanic emissions can influence the health of people living in the surroundings of the volcano in many ways (dermal and ocular irritation, cardiologic and pulmonary exacerbations and cancer). Moreover, the volcanic ashes which have been deposited in a subaqueous environment may produce significant variations in the chemistry of the surface waters and may increase the risk of exposure to metals by drinking the water.
Introductory Chapter - Volcanoes - from their geological and geophysical setting to their impact on human health
AIELLO, GEMMA
2018
Abstract
This is the introductory chapter of the book "Volcanoes: geological and geophysical setting, theoretical aspects and numerical modelling, applications to industry and their impact on the human health". In this chapter, the research themes studied in this book have been introduced referring to the geological and geophysical setting of volcanoes, pertaining, in particular, the correlation between seismic and volcanic activity in volcanic edifices of Southern Italy (Somma-Vesuvius) carried out to a regional scale, the volcanic emissions of the submarine edifice of the Tagoro volcano (Canary Islands, Atlantic Ocean) and the corresponding implications on the chemical and physical properties of the oceanic water, the volcanological studies on the base of the volcanoes and the discovery of a new volcanic edifice, namely the Hiyamizuyama volcano, allowing to evaluate the long-term variations of volcanic and magmatic processes in the north-eastern Japan, the volcanic eruptions in Indonesia, a land hosting 147 volcanoes (76 active volcanoes) spreading along the islands of Java, Lesser Sunda, Sumatra and Celebes and mostly characterized by stratovolcanoes and finally, the geologic, petrographic and geodynamic study of the layered gabbroids of the Pekulney Ridge, a complex volcanic structure located in the north-eastern Russia. Moreover, in this book, significant theoretical aspects and numerical modelling of volcanoes have been addressed, including, in particular, the volcanic dynamics of the convective heat and of the mass transfer in the seismo-focal areas of the Kamchatka Region, including the related volcanic arcs, the modelling of the elastic deformation of volcanoes through the development of computational tools for inverse analyses of geodetic data, which have evidenced the mechanical complexity of the volcanic systems and finally, the mechanical aspects of the magmatic chambers and their relationships with the fluxing of CO2, referring to the Yellowstone magmatic chamber, whose large volume has required additional large volumes of magmas and fluids in order to trigger the volcanic eruption. In this book, significant applications of volcanic studies to industry have also been presented, focusing, in particular, on the use of volcanic scorias and natural pozzolans as cement replacement in the construction industry based on the concrete mixes by analyzing their setting times, the compressive strength, the water permeability and the chloride penetrability and moreover, on the use of volcanic glasses as adsorbents for industrial aims and scopes, being materials displaying a low thermal conductivity, a low density and a high resistance to the fire and perlite aggregate plasters. The volcanic glasses have also been often used as starting materials in the synthesis of clay minerals, as the smectites and the zeolites. The impact of volcanoes on the human health is significant, referring to both the volcanic deposits and to the volcanic emissions. In this book, the impact of the volcanic emissions on the human health has been mainly examined, highlighting that the exposure to volcanic emissions can influence the health of people living in the surroundings of the volcano in many ways (dermal and ocular irritation, cardiologic and pulmonary exacerbations and cancer). Moreover, the volcanic ashes which have been deposited in a subaqueous environment may produce significant variations in the chemistry of the surface waters and may increase the risk of exposure to metals by drinking the water.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
