Mount Etna erupts with huge lava fountains in Italy
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The volcano emitted over seven miles of ash cloud into the sky over Sicily on Monday. The second largest international airport in Sicily, Vincenzo Bellini, was closed temporarily and according to Italy’s civil protection agency, ash covered balconies, roads, and roofs in nearby towns.
The volcano is popular with hikers, skiers and other tourists but there have been no immediate reports of injury or property damage.
At 10,9000 feet at its highest point, Mount Etna is the tallest active volcano in Europe and was so active in 2021 that it increased in size by 100 feet in one year.
The volcano, which regularly erupts as one of Europe’s most active volcanoes, has been seen from astronauts on the Space Station who tweeted a picture.
Matthias Maurer tweeted: “Etna is clearly smoking (and spitting lava as I learnt from the news.”
Anton Shkaplerov from the Russian Space Agency also commented on the eruption: “Red-hot lava flows out of the crater, and cloyd of ash and smoke are in the sky over Sicily.
“The activity of the volcano then stops, then resumes with a series of powerful explosions.”
Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology (INGV) stated on Monday that the lava flow was positioned on the crater on the southeast slope of the mountain.
By Monday afternoon, the lava from the crater had ceased to flow.
However, the Institute had announced a warning for aircraft in the surrounding area earlier that day.
The INGV stated on Twitter that it had detailed a slow but gradual rise in paroxysmal activity, which is also known as volcanic- seismic tremor which is caused by escaping gases that potentially signify another eruption.
In its history, Mount Etna has had thousands of eruptions and as one of Europe’s most active volcanoes, will have many more.
According to NASA’s Earth Observatory, the volcano is believed to be a submarine volcano meaning it emerged above sea level after several eruptions caused a build-up of solidified lava.
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This build-up of lava can be used to date the volcano and Mount Etna is made up of lava flows dating back to 300,000 years ago.
The worst eruption from Mount Etna is thought to have been in 1669 when lava covered a large amount of Catania, which is the largest city on the east side of the island.
The eruption in the 17th century destroyed dozens of villages in its path.
In 1983, experts used dynamite to divert lava flows which threatened the towns near the base of the volcano.
In 1992, the army constructed a well to contain the lava that flowed from Etna for months to prevent it from running into one of the villages on the slopes.
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