Descrizione

Volcanoes are manifestations of the internal forces of the Earth, and as such fascinate us. Special attention has been directed towards mega-calderas and supervolcanoes because of their potentially devastating global impacts on life and climate; some of the most famous prehistoric supervolcanoes are linked to mass extinctions. The investigation of the supervolcanoes of the past can help interpreting and forecasting the behavior of today’s mega-calderas. Numerous studies have investigated the impact of past supervolcano eruptions on global climate, while only few studies have explored the direct effect of such events on the surrounding ecosystems, mostly because of the paucity of sedimentary deposits directly associated with volcanic products.

This makes the Permian (ca. 280 million year old) mega-caldera in the Bozen/Bolzano area especially interesting. The explosive super-eruptions that created the Athesian Volcanic Group extended over a time span of 15 million years. The volcanic rocks are intercalated with sedimentary successions deposited during periods of volcanic quiescence. These fluvio-lacustrine sediments are particularly interesting since they yield a wide variety of fossils, including traces and plants and the oldest vertebrate of the Alps. The sediments crop out in numerous small basins.

The proposed interdisciplinary project aims to integrate sedimentology, volcanology, petrography, vertebrate and invertebrate palaeontology, palaeobotany, palynology and geochemistry in order to reconstruct the early Permian terrestrial ecosystems of the Athesian Volcanic District and the influence of volcanism on them. It will provide important insights into the evolution of ecosystems through the eruptions of the mega-caldera. The stratigraphic and spatial arrangement of the sedimentary basins permits to observe the effects of volcanism at different distances to the centre of eruption. This is especially interesting because the early Permian is characterized by a turnover of plant and animal groups due to global climate change. We will examine if and how the evolution of the ecosystems reflects the global palaeoclimatic change during this interval. Moreover, the radiometrically dated volcanic rocks give exceptional time constraints for the sedimentary deposits and for the first and last occurences of biostratigraphic marker fossils.

As the mega-caldera of the Athesian Volcanic Complex is one of the biggest supervolcanoes in Earth history, a protection/valorization of the area should be considered. This project will contribute to such efforts by creating a deeper understanding of the unique geological and palaeontological features of the Athesian Volcanic District.

Partner

Lead Partner Azienda Musei provinciali, Museo di Scienze Naturali Alto Adige