A 100 meter crater and new hydrothermal vents discovered in Panarea

The research activity started from the processing of data from the IDMAR project (Multidisciplinary Infrastructure Distributed on the Sea) financed by the OP FESR 2014-2020; subsequently, the INGV group of Palermo coordinated by Manfredi Longo used Multibeam acoustic surveys and geographic information systems (GIS) to identify the anomalous morphologies of the seabed. In July 2026, a wire-guided underwater robot ROV (Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle) provided by the University of Padua and piloted by Marco Munari of SZN confirmed the presence of intense degassing activity, with widespread emissions along the crater walls and in the deep sector.

Regarding the prevention implications, the researchers Antonino Torre, Agostino Semperbello and Alessandro Gattuso, head of the INGV headquarters in Milazzo and coordinator of the research, stated: “The discovery of this new area characterized by intense activity north-east of the island of Panarea suggests the need to reconsider the extension of the submarine hydrothermal system known so far. This result poses new challenges in the study of the dynamics and energy of the system and, more generally, the state of activity of the Panarea volcanic complex and its impact on the surrounding ecosystem, opening new perspectives for volcanic research and monitoring activities useful for updating hazard scenarios

”. From a geological point of view,

the structure is inserted along the tectonic line oriented in a north-east/south-west direction which connects Panarea to the islet of Basiluzzo, acting as an ascent route for fluids and gases of deep origin with characteristics similar to the Smoking Land area, discovered in 2015. Visual exploration showed how the degassing gradient affects local biodiversity: while in the crater with high emission extensive bacterial mats prevail with the absence of macroalgae and sessile organisms, in the area of ​​the chimneys with less activity there is a benthic community dominated by green algae of the Udoteaceae family and colonies of the gorgonian Eunicella singularis. The evidence obtained is the result of a long tradition of research which has seen the Palermo Section engaged for more than twenty years in the studies of underwater volcanic and hydrothermal systems, with particular reference to the Aeolian Islands, where it has developed innovative science and technologies for the monitoring and modeling of deep processesAt the same time, Teresa Romeo, Director of the Anton Dohrn Sicily-Calabria Zoological Station, added: “The discovery of this area opens up new scenarios that will be able to give us information on the biodiversity of these complex ecosystems which, given their extension, represent natural laboratories for studying climate change and the adaptations of organisms. The synergy between volcanological and biological and ecological expertise allows a complete interpretation of the energy complexity of the system which, starting from this discovery, can be explored in depth through research and monitoring campaigns for greater risk assessment, but also for specific simulations of extreme conditions”.