Italy's Mount Etna Erupts, Setting Off High Plumes of Smoke
Italy 's Mount Etna erupted Monday, setting off large clouds of smoke and causing tourists to seek shelter.
The country's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology reported volcanic activity of high intensity, which it said had also caused the collapse of part of the volcano's crater. Lava fountains were seen and intense tremors were felt around the area.
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Mount Etna eruption in images: See Europe's largest active volcano blow from different angles
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Mount Etna erupted on Monday (June 2), sending a flow of hot material racing down the volcano as a massive dark cloud of ash rose high into the sky above Sicily. Live Science has rounded up some of the best photographs and videos of this eruption. News reports initially indicated this was the biggest eruption at Etna since 2014, but INVG representatives have since said this is not the case and that it was "a medium-sized eruption." The Italian volcano, which is the largest active volcano in Europe, has been erupting on and off for centuries, according to the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program. The current interval of eruptive activity began on Nov. 27, 2022. An avalanche of ejected hot lava blocks, ash, gas and other volcanic material, known as a pyroclastic flow, began to race down the side of the volcano at around 11:20 a.m. local time. Related: WATCH Mount Etna erupt: Europe's largest volcano blows as tourists scramble to safety Mount Etna's latest eruption likely started after a collapse of material in the southeast crater. The resulting explosive activity then spawned three main lava flows that are now cooling, according to an update from the Etnean Observatory, run by Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology. Footage of the pyroclastic flow makes it look as if the volcano is splitting open from the top down as the ejected material races along the side of the volcano. People visiting Etna at the time captured the eruption on video as they fled. Volcano visitors filmed a massive cloud of ash and other volcanic material rising up above them as they fled. Some people stopped to take photos and videos while others scrambled away as fast as they could. There are no reports of injuries. An ash cloud generated by the eruption rose up to around 21,300 feet (6,500 meters into the sky, according to an update from the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in France at 12:00 p.m. local time. Mount Etna is around 11,000 feet (3,350 m) tall, so the ash cloud was almost twice as high as the volcano itself. The eruption pumped large amounts of sulfur dioxide (SO2) into the atmosphere, according to the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre. When released from a volcano, sulfur dioxide can mix with other gases and particles to form a haze called volcanic smog (vog). Inhaling enough vog can cause respiratory problems and other health issues such as eye and skin irritation, according to the United States Geological Survey. Mount Etna towers above the nearby metropolitan city of Catania, which is home to a population of more than 1 million people. Catania residents and visitors saw the eruption from the city's streets as the ash cloud obscured what was a clear blue sky. The eruption had stopped by 4:56 p.m. local time, when the Etnean Observatory published an update on Mount Etna's activity. The Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre noted that there was no ash cloud being produced at 4.22 p.m., and by 5:22 p.m., the ash cloud was dissipating. Editor's note: This story was updated on Wednesday, June 4 at 5:34 a.m. ET as it previously incorrectly stated the eruption was the biggest since 2014. After publication, INVG representatives told Live Science that it was "a medium-sized eruption."
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WATCH Mount Etna erupt: Europe's largest volcano blows as tourists scramble to safety
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Mount Etna erupted on Monday (June 2) with a ginormous cloud of ash and triggered an avalanche of volcanic material that has ripped down the side of Europe's largest active volcano. The massive eruption on the Italian island of Sicily sent visitors scrambling for safety as black smoke rose high above Catania, a metropolitan city with a population of more than 1 million people located near the base of the volcano. An avalanche of hot lava blocks, ash, gas and other volcanic material called a pyroclastic flow began at around 11:20 AM local time. Footage from the eruption makes it look as if the volcano is splitting open from the top down as the ejected material races down the side of the volcano. Scientists observing the volcano said that the latest eruptive activity likely started after a collapse of material in Mount Etna's South-East Crater, where the "explosive activity" has since become a lava fountain, according to an update at 12:00 PM local time from the Etnean Observatory, run by Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology. There were no reports of injuries at the time of publication, though some social media videos show tourists fleeing the volcano on foot. "I spoke to the INGV (Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology), everything is normal and under control," Enrico Tarantino, the mayor of Sicily's Catania municipality, said in a statement, via the Independent. "There is no criticality, it is a phenomenon that repeats itself and, in light of the monitoring of the volcano, was already expected." Related: Watch mesmerizing 1,000-foot-tall lava fountains: Kilauea volcano erupting in ways not seen for 40 years Mount Enta has been erupting since Nov. 27, 2022, according to the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program. At over 11,000 feet (3,350 meters) tall, Mount Etna is the tallest volcano in Europe. —The closer a volcano is to erupting, the greener the trees around it look from space —Quadruple volcanoes on secret Soviet military base linked to climate-altering eruption 200 years ago — Earth from space —Mystery of Bolivian 'zombie' volcano finally solved The ash cloud from the latest eruption had risen up to around 21,300 feet (6,500 m), or 4 miles (6.5 kilometers) into the sky, according to an update from the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in France at 12:00 PM local time. That rise meant the ash cloud was almost twice as high as the volcano itself. The rest of the cloud is mostly composed of sulfur dioxide (SO2). This gas, when released from a volcano, can mix with other gases and particles in the atmosphere to form a haze called volcanic smog (vog). Inhaling enough vog can cause respiratory problems and other health issues such as eye and skin irritation, according to USGS. However, officials in Italy haven't warned of any threats to the local population at the time of publication. The eruption has stopped, according to an update at 4:56 PM local time from the Etnean Observatory.
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American Airlines sent a plane from the US to Italy that was too big for its destination airport and wasn't allowed to land
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