Let me introduce you the Aeolian Archipelago - Fotografie delle Eolie - Photos des iles éolennes

"During the summer solstice at daybreak a sea column emerged and waters rose very high while the earth collapsed"

Strabone First century BC

The Roman historian Strabone describes with these words the event which should correspond, according to the scholars, to the seaquake acused by an underwater eruption, one of the many geological modifications of the Aeolian archipelago, known in geology as the Aeolian Arch.

It is a complex structure with a linear shape of about 200 km, constituted by a superficial part (the islands), and by more composit part (the submarine portion)

Its formation is due to a succession of geological events which have brought to the formation of the mountain chain of the Appennins and of the Tyrrhenean Sea because of subduction phenomenon (sliding of a lithospheric plate under another active plate placed on it) of the Ocean crust, which have led to the approaching of the African paleo-continent.

The archipelago is formed by 7 main islands and by many submarine reliefs, some of which still have a submarine volcanic activity, for example: Sisifo situated north from Alicudi.

The Sea is over 2000m deep in certain areas and the islands can rise till 962m (Salina)

The effusive and explosive eruptions that happened by turns have caused the formation of stratovolcanoes, formed by dark lava flows and by pyroclastic material produced by the rocks flung up by the explosions.

Today for the joy of tourists, the different colors offered by the type of eruption are from the white of light pomice stone to the black of obsidian vitreous stone.

The colors are many indeed!

Yellow for sulfer, red for iron, gray for basalt, etc...

I let you immagine the beauty of this paradise.

Everything is not quiet though if we consider the presence of 3 active volcanoes: Stromboli with its emblematical strombolian way to express, Vulcano that seem to take rest from the huge explosions period at the end of the XIX century AC and which presents various evident signs of his sulfurical temper! Lipari because not a very long time ago erupted producing great quantity of pomice and that flows (obsidian) even to the Sea modeling its north-east coast.

Have I been clear enough to invite you to get to know the wonderful beauty of nature that the Aeolian Islands are?

The fotos I personally made will help you more.

This summer we'll get back to the topic illustrating deeper, one by one many aspects of the complex personality of this great archipelago.

In the meanwhile, your questions and suggestions are very welcome by mail.

Sunrise on the smoking crater of Vulcano

Lipari West coast

Pomice of Lipari

Alicudi and boats

Filicudi natural harbour

Panarea

Salina twins

Stromboli erupting ashes

Strombolicchio neck

Ne ha parlato Strabone sin dall'antichità. Le Isole Eolie oggi si presentano al turista con indubbito carattere vulcanico attraverso la grande gamma di colori che spicca sulle loro coste.

3 vulcani sono attivi: Lipari ancora considerato attivo perché la sua ultima eruzione ebbe luogo nel 729 d.C (poco tempo è passato considerando la vita di un vulcano), Stromboli e la sua tipica attività stromboliana e infine Vulcano che si riposa ma presenta segni evidenti di attività post vulcanica che lascia suppore l'avvento di un'altra eruzione nel futuro.

L'historien Strabon nous parle déjà dans l'antiquité de l'origine volcanique des iles éoliennes qui aujourd'hui se présentent aux touristes parées de strates de couleurs des plus variées sur ces cotes.

3 volcans sont actifs si l'on considère que Lipari a connu sa dernière éruption il y a pas si longtemps (729 de notre ère) et que les 2 autres, Stromboli et sa typique façon strombolienne et Vulcano qui présente tous les signes d'une activité post-volcanique et qui pouurait se réveiller dans le futur, sont d'illustres exemples de volcans actifs.