Anatomy of volcanic roots: is Etna a geodynamic loner?

Abstract This work reexamines emplacement mechanisms of the first exposed volcanic deposits of Etna through a multiscale approach, in order to rediscuss their significance in the framework of the eastern Sicily volcanism. Results demonstrate that Etnean roots were derived from a hyaloclastite-forming effusive eruptive event, with dyke intrusion that caused peperite generation in both seafloor and hyaloclastite beds. Similarities in stress patterns favouring dyke intrusion and in geochemistry of volcanic products reported for the Plio-Pleistocene volcanism of the Hyblean Plateau in eastern Sicily indicate that Etnean volcanism prior to 110 ka represents the northernmost and youngest propagation of the Hyblean magmatic system. In contrast, post-110 ka history of the volcano reflects the development of a more efficient and structurally focused magmatic plumbing system, driven by the interaction between ascending magmas and the evolving crustal architecture of eastern Sicily. Overall, this interpretation places Etna within a continuous regional magmatic trajectory rather than a geodynamic loner, providing a more unified framework for the long-term volcanic evolution of southeastern Sicily.