A sequence stratigraphic study in a complex volcanic area (Campania, Italy)

The Campania Volcanic Zone, located on the eastern margin of the Tyrrhenian Sea, is a region characterized by active volcanoes and ignimbrite deposits. Well-known active volcanoes include Campi Flegrei, Vesuvius, and Ischia. Over the last 15 years, numerous volcanoes, domes, pyroclastic units, and debris avalanche deposits have been discovered offshore of Campania, which has allowed new volcanic fields to be identified and the volumes of ignimbrite deposits to be quantified. Sequence stratigraphy is focused on analysing changes in the facies and geometric character of strata and on identifying key surfaces to determine the chronological order of basin filling. The use of a sequence-stratigraphic approach for the interpretation of outcrops, well log data, and seismic reflection profiles with different resolutions and penetrations enable the correlation of areas characterized by heterogeneous data sets. Here, the sequence-stratigraphic approach was applied in the complex area of the Campania Volcanic Zone. The study was conducted by interpreting seismic reflection profiles, well logs, and outcrops, and 3-D modelling of geological surfaces was performed using Kingdom software (copyright IHS). The results include the discovery of buried volcanic units, the reconstruction of regional geological cross-sections, the construction of a coherent chronostratigraphic framework, and the establishment of stratigraphic relationships between different volcanic fields. This study defines a complete volcanic evolution of the Campania Volcanic Zone, identifies the abrupt changes in the sedimentary environments and, consequently, individuates the volcano-tectonic subsidence events. As a result, the Quaternary stratigraphy of the volcanic events is able to be updated.