3-D density structure and geological evolution of Stromboli volcano (Aeolian Islands, Italy) inferred from land-based and sea-surface gravity data

•First density model of Stromboli volcano obtained by 3-D inversion of gravity data.•Density model agrees with bulk densities of rock samples.•The main high density anomalies are related to dyke intrusions.•Low-density anomalies are related to paroxysmal explosive phreato-magmatic events.•Volcano-structural evolution of Stromboli revealed by gravity data.

We present the first density model of Stromboli volcano (Aeolian Islands, Italy) obtained by simultaneously inverting land-based (543) and sea-surface (327) relative gravity data. Modern positioning technology, a 1 × 1 m digital elevation model, and a 15 × 15 m bathymetric model made it possible to obtain a detailed 3-D density model through an iteratively reweighted smoothness-constrained least-squares inversion that explained the land-based gravity data to 0.09 mGal and the sea-surface data to 5 mGal. Our inverse formulation avoids introducing any assumptions about density magnitudes. At 125 m depth from the land surface, the inferred mean density of the island is 2380 kg m− 3, with corresponding 2.5 and 97.5 percentiles of 2200 and 2530 kg m− 3. This density range covers the rock densities of new and previously published samples of Paleostromboli I, Vancori, Neostromboli and San Bartolo lava flows. High-density anomalies in the central and southern part of the island can be related to two main degassing faults crossing the island (N41 and N64) that are interpreted as preferential regions of dyke intrusions. In addition, two low-density anomalies are found in the northeastern part and in the summit area of the island. These anomalies seem to be geographically related with past paroxysmal explosive phreato-magmatic events that have played important roles in the evolution of Stromboli Island by forming the Scari caldera and the Neostromboli crater, respectively.