Mount Etna–Iblean volcanism caused by rollback-induced upper mantle upwelling around the Ionian slab edge: An alternative to the plume model

A novel model explains the origin of Mount Etna and Iblean Plateau volcanism, challenging the traditional plume hypothesis. The study proposes that these volcanic activities are driven by rollback-induced upper mantle upwelling around the southern edge of the Ionian slab, rather than a deep mantle plume or lateral flow. Using three-dimensional fluid dynamic subduction models, researchers demonstrate that the rollback of the Ionian slab triggers a quasi-toroidal return flow in the mantle, with significant upwelling occurring at depths of 90-430 km and extending 55-660 km from the slab edge. This upwelling can account for the spatial separation between intraplate volcanism in Sicily and arc magmatism, as well as their contemporaneous activity over the past ~7 million years. The model predicts maximum upwelling velocities of 3.2-6.1 cm/yr below Sicily, depending on rollback rates.

Schellart, W. P. (2010). Mount Etna–Iblean volcanism caused by rollback-induced upper mantle upwelling around the Ionian slab edge: An alternative to the plume model. Geology, 38(8), 691–694. https://doi.org/10.1130/g31037.1