FORMATION OF LAVA TUBES AND EXTENSIVE FLOW-FIELD DURING THE 1991-1993ERUPTION OF MOUNT-ETNA

Detailed mapping during the 1991-1993 eruption of Mount Etna has shown that there is a relationship between tumuli, ephemeral vents, lava tu bes, and their parent lava flows. During this eruption, many tubes for med in stationary, inflated 'a'a lava flows. Ephemeral vents at the fr onts of these stationary flows and above lava tubes fed secondary lava flows, many of which subsequently developed new tubes. The resulting complex network of tubes, ephemeral vents, and secondary flows was res ponsible for most of the widening, thickening, and lengthening of the 1991-1993 Etna lava flow field. The supply of relatively uncooled lava via tubes to distal parts of this flow field allowed lava to flow 3 k m farther from the vent than the longest channel-fed lava flow. Our ob servations suggest that lava tubes play a more important role in the f ormation of extensive 'a'a flow fields on Etna than has previously bee n recognized.