Analysis of Mount Etna’s volcanic rocks

In this work we have analysed the basalt rocks from the area of Mount Etna using ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy (MS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF). Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to identify and to quantify the content and the magnetic nature of the iron-bearing minerals in the lava samples. Magnetite, olivine, pyroxene, hornblende, hematite and goethite of different relative abundances were found in the investigated samples. X-ray diffraction supported the structural analysis and determined the phases not visible by MS, like albite and calcite. X-ray fluorescence was employed to provide compositional analysis of the studied samples. The used methods showed qualitatively similar composition of the investigated rock samples, even though they also disclosed the quantitative differences in phase proportions agreeing with observed sample coloration. Identified compositional variations may result from the different processes during basalt formation and/or unequal weathering history.