Mud Volcanoes in the Emilia-Romagna Apennines: Small Landforms of Outstanding Scenic and Scientific Value

Abstract

Mud volcanoes are emissions of cold mud due to the ascent to the surface of salty and muddy waters mixed with gaseous (methane) and, in minor part, fluid hydrocarbons (petroleum veils) along faults and fractures. In the Emilia-Romagna Apennines (Northern Italy) mud volcanoes are closely linked to the active tectonic compression associated with a thrust of regional importance. They are mostly cone-shaped and show variable geometry and size, ranging from one to few metres, and are located in 19 sites in the northwestern part of the Apennines. The mud volcanoes of the region have been known since a long time and have always aroused great interest due to their outstanding scenic value. In the past the mud volcano emissions have been used in many ways: the mud was applied for cosmetic use and the natural oil was much appreciated for its balsamic and purgative properties. In the last decades the mud volcanoes have represented a relevant tourist attractiveness

Towards Enhanced Understanding and Experience of Landforms, Geohazards, and Geoheritage through Virtual Reality Technologies in Education: Lessons from the GeoVT Project

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Variations in CO2 emissions at a mud volcano at the southern base of Mt Etna: are they due to volcanic activity interference or a geyser-like mechanism?

“…The topic is particularly important as SHHS and mud volcanoes represent an underestimated threat. We recall the recent tragic event which occurred at the Macalube of Aragona in Sicily in September 2014, when two children were overwhelmed and killed by a mud explosion (Castaldini and Coratza 2017). We are encouraged to get high-frequency data on these systems, in order to model their behavior according to possible mechanisms and eventually relate it to external forcing, such as seismic or volcanic activity.…”

Protection of the Geological Heritage of the Aktobe Oblast and Its Use for the Development of Geotourism

“…All tourist goods, services and infrastructure produced and created on the basis of geomorphological land forms and processes result from the application of this value and its four components, which are understood in terms of the degree and modality of use. The articles of Comănescu and Dobre (2009), Coratza et al, (2018), Castaldini and Coratza (2017) describe the various stages of the inventory, they also address the problems related to the protection of geological heritage and suggest the management of geomorphosities. Panizza (2001), Comănescu et al, (2017, Badiali et al, (2018) discuss the issue of former land forms destroyed as a consequence of human activity, a key problem in urban areas where the original geomorphology was greatly affected by anthropogenic activity.…”