The Colli Albani volcano (also Alban Hills volcano) is the large quiescent volcanic field that dominates the Roman skyline. The Colli Albani is one of the most explosive mafic calderas in the world, associated with intermediate to large volume ignimbrites. At present it shows signs of unrest, including periodic seismic swarms, ground uplift and intense diffuse degassing, which are the main short-term hazards. New studies have discovered deposits related to previously unknown pre-Holocene and Holocene volcanic and phreatic activity. In the fourth Century B.C.E. Roman engineers excavated a tunnel through the Albano maar crater wall to keep the lake from breaching the rim and flooding the surrounding countryside, events that had previously destroyed this region several times.
The Colli Albani Volcano contains 21 scientific contributions on stratigraphy, volcanotectonics, geochronology, petrography and geochemistry, hydrogeology, volcanic hazards, geophysics and archaeology, and a new 1:50 000 scale geological map of the volcano. The proximity to Rome and the interconnection between volcanic and human history also make this volcano of interest for both specialists and non-specialists.
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The monograph is a well-organized compilation of paper chapters, each covering a distinct topic, linked in a logical progression to develop a comprehensive scientific analysis of the ColliAlbani volcano.
The themes presented in each chapter are supported by extensive literature reviews and strong scientific data sets and observations. All chapters are well illustrated, and data sets are plotted or tabulated by the most effective means. The writing style is coherent across all chapters and would even be accessible to the non-specialist. A huge bonus for the purchaser of this monograph is the new 1:50,000 Geological Map of the ColliAlbani Volcano, which also includes central Rome and effectively highlights the intimate relationship between the volcanic geology and the ancient city. The ColliAlbani Volcano provides an ideal model for future volumes on other volcanic systems. --Review by A. Pittari, The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand Review featured in Bulletin Volcanology (2012) 74:1577 1578
