Geodynamics and magmatism of the Central Mediterranean region

The Mediterranean area is one of the most intriguing places on Earth where geodynamics and volcanoes are strictly related, and evolved through time. The complexity of the tectonic setting is further enriched by the observed shift of the petrochemical affinity of magmas, in the same volcanic area, from subduction-related to intraplate. The successive opening of back-arc basins (e.g., Ligurian-Provençal basin, Tyrrhenian Sea), following the roll-back of the subducting Adria Plate, produced a migration of magmatism to form a transitional eastward pattern of volcanoes both onshore and offshore. The Mio-Pliocene volcanic rocks occurring in the Central Mediterranean area are characterised by exceptional variability of the petro-chemical and isotopic features, which allow the distinction of several sectors, when also the areal distribution is considered. Thus, the Mediterranean area has always been site of studies focused on magma genesis and on the geodynamic significance of the complex scenario achieved through time. In the scientific literature, a large number of papers were published on the magmatism of each single volcanic association/area, but very few dealt with the general picture of the offshore magmatic and geodynamic evolution. The aim of this chapter is to provide an outline of the most prominent geological, petrological, geochemical and isotopic characteristics of the submarine volcanic centres found in the Central Mediterranean basin, with the aim of providing a fairly complete picture of the existing relationships between the geodynamics and the igneous petrology in this area.