THE DECEMBER 2015 PAROXYSMS AT MT. ETNA: INSIGHTS FROM MINERAL CHEMISTRY AND GLASSES

In the last years, Mt. Etna was characterized by intense (explosive-effusive) eruptive activity. The December 2015 eruption was characterized by a quick sequence of eruptive episodes that produced eruption columns over 10 km in height, high lava fountains, Strombolian activity, persistent ash emissions and lava flows that involved four of the five summit craters in different moments. In this work, the juvenile fraction erupted during the paroxysmal phases occurred between 3 and 5 December 2015 was studied. In particular, we present mineralogical and compositional data of recognized mineral phases in the lapilli erupted during three of four explosive episodes and their melt inclusions and glassy groundmasses, aimed at a better understanding of the Mt. Etna plumbing system behavior and mainly related to the dynamics of its explosive eruptions.