Mt. Vulture, Potenza Province, Basilicata, Italy

Composite volcano with 700 m of nephelinite, tephrite and phonolite tuffs and lavas. Activity at the main centre ceased about 0.5 Ma ago, but at 0.133 +/- 0.012 Ma, an isolated, highly explosive event occurred at the Monticchio centre, to the southwest of Vulture. Two maar craters were formed and pyroclastic deposits a few metres thick, extending over about 10 km2, were erupted. The pyroclastic rocks, some of which are carbonatitic, consist of alternating layers of lapilli and ash tuffs which display well developed dune structures typical of surge deposits. At some horizons the lapilli are spherical, up to 3 cm in diameter, and may be in contact and cemented by drusy calcite or supported by an ash matrix.

Ref.:
- Stoppa, F., and Woolley, A.R. (1997): The Italian carbonatites: field occurrence, petrology and regional significance. Mineralogy and Petrology 59, 43-67.