Tephrochronology of the astronomically-tuned KC01B deep-sea core, Ionian Sea: insights into the explosive activity of the Central Mediterranean area during the last 200 ka

• A tephrostratigraphic record from the Ionian Sea extending back to ca 200 ka.
• Major and trace element dataset of fifteen tephra layers astronomically dated.
• Major and potential inter-archive tephra markers.
• Insights into the volcanism of Campania Plain, Mt. Etna, Aeolian Arc and Pantelleria.

We present a major, trace and rare earth element characterization of single glass shards from fifteen tephra layers found in the astronomically-tuned KC01B deep-sea core (Ionian Sea, Central Mediterranean-36°15.25′N, 17°34.44′E, 3642 m water depth). KC01B is considered a reference core for the Mediterranean area since it provides a new reliable astronomical tuned timescale for the last 1.112 My (Lourens, 2004). The studied deposits punctuate the marine record in a time span ranging from ca 16 ka to ca 191 ka B.P. encompassing the climatic zones Y, X, W and V. They are related to volcanic activity of the Campania Plain, Aeolian Islands, Mt. Etna and Pantelleria Island. Along with major main markers of the Central Mediterranean area such as Y-1, Y-5, and X-6, astronomically dated at 16.7 ka, 39.1 ka, and 110.5 ka, respectively, the succession contains a number of well preserved deposits which can represent useful inter-archive instruments of correlation. The Campania Plain, in particular, sourced at least nine compositionally homogeneous tephra layers prior to the Campanian Ignimbrite event. The data obtained in this work provide a new detailed analytical reference database for Ionian Sea tephrochronology and for proximal-distal correlation studies. They may help to unravel from the marine record the history of poorly known or unknown explosive activity on land since the middle Pleistocene along with chemical composition, size and dispersal of the products.