VULCANO 385 



The crater (plate 21) is circular, about 600 meters in diameter, the 

 western and northern rim rather flat, while to the southwest, south, and 

 east the rim is lost against the steep wall of the first phase crater. It is 

 much less deep than it was prior to the last eruption. The interior shows 

 two well-defined terraces, which run ahnost completely around the circle, 

 the upper being about 25 meters below the southern rim and the second 

 about 15 meters below the first. The slopes between these are gentle; 

 not over 25°. 



The second terrace forms the edge of the funnel of the crater, tlie 

 bottom of which is about o() meters l)elow the terrace and with sides s1o[j- 

 iiig (except oil Ibc iioi'th ) at about 32°. The Ixtttoiii of this fiiiiiiel 

 (about 70 meters below the northern rim) is formed of two cii'tndar, 

 shallow depressions, each about 25 meters across and separated bv a nar- 

 row ridge of ash and agglomerate. The small lake previously occupying 

 the bottom has disaj^peared. and the floors of the two basins are dry and 

 covered with salty crusts in varicolored patches of fawn, buff, yellowish, 

 gray, and white. The southern basin shows little activity, but from 

 around the northern one there is considerable emission of hot vapors, and 

 an active fumarole exists on the steep north wall, witli abundant deposi- 

 tion of sulphur. 



The fumarolic activity is intense over much of the cone antl may be 

 referred, as ])ointe(l out by de Fiore, to two distinct types — the diffuse 

 exhalations and the fumaroles proper. 



The (ii'st consists in a gentle, quiet, and noiseless emanation (d' hot 

 vapors, whicli a|)|)eai' to he mostly steam, with 80o and litth' oi- no 1 1 CI 

 or U.S. through ci'evices and the less coherent lapilJi and ashes, accom- 

 ))anied by the deposition of more or less abundant salts but little or no 

 sulpliui'. Exhalations of this type are abundant at the Ixittom of the 

 crater and over the inner slopes and crater rim. especially on the north. 

 They are especially so in the north upper sloius oxer the so-called Piano 

 delle Fumarole and below this as far down as about the 100-meter level. 

 Here there is a broad zone which is so thickly covered with salts that one 

 sinks ankle deep in them.'^ 



For the most part these salts are pure wliite. but there are extensive 

 l)atches of ydlow, bi-igbt orange, yellowish brown, grt'cnish gi'ay. and at 

 (me place the snowy white salt surface is niai'ked with patches of pale 

 blue and lifight gi'ccii, (hie to copper. Tliese salts are damp and warm to 

 the hand. 



In tlie crater on the northern rim and generally o\er the Piano delle 

 l^'umarole tiie saline de|>osits are imt so thick and ai'e of a ditl'erent cliar- 



" It may be iiulcd ILiil llic linn- of oiir visit (in August) was cxofptioually favorable 

 for the I'djjiM'liini and stiuly of these salts, as no i-alii liad falliMi since Jauuary. 



