Spectacular eruption on Mount Etna sends up 5,000-meter column of smoke

Mount Etna, the Sicilian volcano that towers over the city of Catania in the east of the island, reawakened on Monday afternoon with a thunderous eruption that sent a column of smoke some five kilometers (3.1 miles) into the sky and generated lava flows. The Italian Civil Protection Agency has issued a red alert, although for the moment the activity is limited to the crater area, at an altitude of around 2,800 meters. In any case, the violent explosions of Europe’s most active volcano, accompanied by strong tremors, were heard in all the nearby towns.

Despite the spectacular images, which quickly circulated on social media as there were many tourists on the slopes of the volcano at the time, the eruption is not currently affecting flights at Catania Airport. Air traffic is usually one of the first-affected aspects of Etna’s periodic eruptions, but on this occasion, the wind is not blowing in the direction of the terminal, so operations have been able to continue.

The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) in Catania reported that part of the volcano’s southeastern crater wall, which formed in 2007 and has been the site of frequent eruptions in recent years, has likely collapsed. A pyroclastic flow has emerged from that location, while other lava fountains have also emerged at various points.

A “small” flow of volcanic material has moved toward the Leone Valley, but has not surpassed its borders, and another “modest” flow has spilled into the Bove Valley. The tremors caused by the eruption have reached “very high” levels and are likely to increase, the agency said.

Situation “under control”

“I just spoke with the Institute of Volcanology, and everything is normal and under control,” explained the mayor of Catania, Enrico Tarantino. “There is no critical situation; it is a recurring phenomenon, and the volcano’s surveillance system had already anticipated it and had blocked access to the summit areas. It’s our mountain, and we know it.”

The volcano’s activity had increased since 11 p.m. on Sunday. The eruption began at 2:39 a.m., and loud explosions were heard Monday morning. According to the INGV, the most recent episodes of similar intensity were recorded in February 2021 and in 2014. In recent months, the volcano has already experienced 14 eruptions of varying size, but this has been the most significant.

Mount Etna, 3,403 meters high and with five craters at its summit, almost always emits a cloud of smoke of varying intensity, and small eruptions and ash fallout are frequent. The last notable eruption was last February, which offered such beautiful images that authorities had to monitor access to the site due to the influx of tourists seeking to witness it.

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