Mapping an igneous dike in carbonate rocks by drone-borne magnetometry

Magnetic method plays an important role in different fields of application. In the past decade, the introduction of drones and the development of miniaturized, lightweight magnetic sensors opened new data acquisition possibilities. In fact, the drone-borne magnetometry allows collecting magnetic datasets characterized by a uniform areal coverage and good resolution, representing an intermediate solution between the classical ground and high-altitude airborne prospections. Moreover, drones allow to reduce costs, time, and risks, with respect to other acquisition techniques, and allow performing high resolution surveys over places of difficult access. In this study, we conducted a drone-borne magnetic survey, on the southwestern slope of the Mt. Cesima ridge, northeast of Roccamonfina volcano. Here, within the active quarry of Taverna San Felice (Presenzano), we performed a magnetic mapping of an igneous dike intruded in Mesozoic carbonates. The results, integrated with field and drone-based structural data, as well as the geological mapping, helped to constrain the geometry of this magmatic dike and the distribution of its pyroclastic deposits, shedding light on an impressive example of interaction between volcanism and tectonics in the southern Apennines.