Unravelling the volcanic history of the Campanian Plain: A detailed study of mid-distance successions between 40 and 130 ka

The effectiveness of tephrochronology in reconstructing past events at high resolution relies heavily on accurate knowledge of the eruptive history of volcanic sources. For the Campanian Plain, southern Italy, distal and ultra-distal tephra archives provide detailed geochemical and chronological records of its complex volcanism. In contrast, proximal studies often depend on whole-rock geochemistry from outcrops that are frequently incomplete due to erosion or burial, limiting direct comparisons with glass-based datasets from distal sites. However, mid-distance buried successions offer a crucial archive, preserving volcanic layers often absent in proximal settings. This study investigates two mid-distance successions retrieved from boreholes—Camaldoli della Torre (CdT) and San Marco Evangelista (SME)—and selected samples from the distal San Gregorio Magno (SGM) core covering the 130–40 ka interval. All three boreholes are located in the Campania region (Italy). Through a multi-method analytical approach, including major and trace elements, Sr-Nd isotopes, and new 40Ar/39Ar dating, we characterize key tephra layers and identify previously unrecognized correlations to widespread Mediterranean tephra markers. Additionally, we evaluate the potential of using whole-rock geochemical data for correlation with glass compositions from distal sites, in order to assess whether such comparisons can be reliably employed in tephrostratigraphic studies. Our findings highlight the pivotal role of buried successions in reconstructing a more complete volcanic record revealing the additional occurrences of key Mediterranean tephra markers.