Lipari island has been sinking for millennia, study finds

A multidisciplinary study published in the journal ‘Quaternary International’ has revealed that the island of Lipari, the largest in the Aeolian archipelago, has been progressively sinking for millennia. This geological subsidence, driven by complex tectonic, volcanic, and geological processes, has resulted in the submersion of numerous historical and archaeological sites.

The research was conducted by an international team including experts from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), the National Research Council (CNR), Sapienza University of Rome, the University of Bologna, LESIA Observatoire de Paris, and Radboud Radio Lab. The study utilized geodetic GNSS measurements, high-resolution bathymetric surveys, seismic surveys, and underwater archaeological investigations to reconstruct nearly 4,000 years of coastal changes.

The work is dedicated to the memory of the late archaeologist Sebastiano Tusa, whose insights laid the groundwork for this investigation into how the island's shifting landscape has shaped its submerged cultural heritage.