The Stromboli volcano (Aeolian Islands, Italy) erupted suddenly on 28 December 2002 after a 17-year period of typically persistent but moderate eruptive activity, followed two days later by a tsunamigenic landslide on its NW flank (Sciara del Fuoco) felt in the coastal areas of southern Italy. Three continuous GPS stations were quickly deployed near the volcano's rim sampling at 1 Hz, with instantaneous positions computed relative to a fourth station on its flank. We report on two deformation episodes. A vent migration on 16--17 February 2003 caused significant displacements at only one site and contributed to the decision not to issue a warning of an impending tsunamigenic landslide. The second episode on 5 April 2003, a paroxystic explosion from the summit crater, allowed us to model, for the first time with geodetic data, the shallow magma chambers that give rise to Strombolian explosive activity.