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The Independent
4 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Volcanologist reveals exactly what happened at Mount Etna
On Monday morning local time, a huge cloud of ash, hot gas and rock fragments began spewing from Italy's Mount Etna. An enormous plume was seen stretching several kilometres into the sky from the mountain on the island of Sicily, which is the largest active volcano in Europe. While the blast created an impressive sight, the eruption resulted in no reported injuries or damage and barely even disrupted flights on or off the island. Mount Etna eruptions are commonly described as 'Strombolian eruptions' – though as we will see, that may not apply to this event. What happened at Etna? The eruption began with an increase in pressure in the hot gases inside the volcano. This led to the partial collapse of part of one of the craters atop Etna. The collapse allowed what is called a pyroclastic flow: a fast-moving cloud of ash, hot gas and fragments of rock bursting out from inside the volcano. Next, lava began to flow in three different directions down the mountainside. These flows are now cooling down. On Monday evening, Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology announced the volcanic activity had ended. Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, so this eruption is reasonably normal. What is a Strombolian eruption? Volcanologists classify eruptions by how explosive they are. More explosive eruptions tend to be more dangerous because they move faster and cover a larger area. At the mildest end are Hawaiian eruptions. You have probably seen pictures of these: lava flowing sedately down the slope of the volcano. The lava damages whatever it runs into, but it's a relatively local effect. As eruptions grow more explosive, they send ash and rock fragments flying further afield. At the more explosive end of the scale are Plinian eruptions. These include the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD, described by the Roman writer Pliny the Younger, which buried the Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum under metres of ash. In a Plinian eruption, hot gas, ash, and rock can explode high enough to reach the stratosphere, and when the eruption column collapses, the debris falls to Earth and can wreak terrifying destruction over a huge area. What about Strombolian eruptions? These relatively mild eruptions are named after Stromboli, another Italian volcano, which belches out a minor eruption every 10 to 20 minutes. In a Strombolian eruption, chunks of rock and cinders may travel tens or hundreds of metres through the air, but rarely further. The pyroclastic flow from yesterday's eruption at Etna was rather more explosive than this, so it wasn't strictly Strombolian. Can we forecast volcano eruptions? Volcanic eruptions are a bit like weather. They are very hard to predict in detail, but we are a lot better than we used to be at forecasting them. To understand what a volcano will do in the future, we first need to know what is happening inside it right now. We can't look inside directly, but we do have indirect measurements. For example, before an eruption, magma travels from deep inside the Earth up to the surface. On the way, it pushes rocks apart and can generate earthquakes. If we record the vibrations of these quakes, we can track the magma's journey from the depths. Rising magma can also make the ground near a volcano bulge upwards very slightly, by a few millimetres or centimetres. We can monitor this bulging, for example, with satellites, to gather clues about an upcoming eruption. Some volcanoes release gas even when they are not strictly erupting. We can measure the chemicals in this gas, and if they change, it can tell us that new magma is on its way to the surface. When we have this information about what's happening inside the volcano, we also need to understand its 'personality' to know what the information means for future eruptions. Are volcanic eruptions more common than in the past? As a volcanologist, I often hear from people that it seems there are more volcanic eruptions now than in the past. This is not the case. What is happening, I tell them, is that we have better monitoring systems now, and a very active global media system. So we know about more eruptions – and even see photos of them. Monitoring is extremely important. We are fortunate that many volcanoes in places such as Italy, the United States, Indonesia and New Zealand have excellent monitoring in place. This monitoring allows local authorities to issue warnings when an eruption is imminent. For a visitor or tourist out to see the spectacular natural wonder of a volcano, listening to these warnings is all-important.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Climate
- New York Times
An Eruption at Mount Etna Sends Hikers Scrambling for Cover
Tourists on the Italian island of Sicily were forced to flee on Monday from the slopes of Mount Etna, one of Europe's largest and most active volcanoes, after an eruption sent clouds of gas, rock and ash billowing into the sky. There were no reports of injuries or deaths, though videos circulating on social media showed hikers scrambling to descend the mountain as plumes rose overhead. More than 20 percent of the flights arriving at the nearby Catania Airport were delayed, according to FlightAware, a company that tracks flight information. Authorities said that there was no risk to the local population. The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said in a statement that the explosions were confined to the summit area, which was closed to tourists, and were of 'strong intensity.' The institute has since announced on its Facebook account that the day's volcanic activity has ended. As a popular tourist destination, Sicily welcomes many millions of travelers annually, with more than a million visiting Mount Etna alone. In recent years, authorities have struggled to control imprudent visitors who failed to appreciate the risks of getting a close look at the island's most prominent landmark. Mount Etna, a stratovolcano, or a conical volcano with relatively steep sides, shows almost continuous activity from its main craters and relatively frequent lava flows from craters and fissures along its sides. A previous major eruption had occurred in February. Hannah and Charlie Camper, a couple from England, were vacationing at Villa Carlino House, which sits about 10 miles east of the volcano's central crater, when volcanic plumes began billowing near the summit. The couple was aware of previous eruptions but thought they would be 'completely fine,' since 'it's active all the time,' Ms. Camper said in a WhatsApp message. Ms. Camper said they weren't sure what to do if the activity worsened. They did not receive any emergency messages on their phones. After filming the video, they ran inside and began searching the internet for safety warnings. 'We were waiting to hear something, but nothing came through even though the smoke was getting bigger and coming toward us,' she said. 'At one point we could see the lava coming down the volcano.' Sicily, the setting for the second season of the hit series 'The White Lotus,' has grown increasingly popular among tourists in recent years, despite being plagued by heat, wildfires and water shortages. Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2025.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Footage shows Italy's Mount Etna erupting
Social media footage and CCTV in time-lapse released by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology shows Sicily's Mount Etna erupting, sending columns of volcanic steam and ash into the sky. According to the institute, the cloud was probably caused by a collapse of material from the northern flank of the south-east crater. Sicily's civil protection department urged hikers to avoid the volcano's summit until further notice. The eruption has not affected operations at nearby Catania airport. The city mayor told local media that the situation was under control and it was a recurring phenomenon
The Independent
4 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
What to know about travelling to Sicily after the eruption of Mount Etna
Mount Etna, Europe's largest active volcano, erupted in Sicily, Italy, sending smoke plumes into the air and causing tourists to flee. The eruption included a pyroclastic flow of hot rock, ash, and gas, along with a lava fountain from the volcano's southeast crater. The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Toulouse issued a red aviation warning, but flights are currently experiencing minimal disruptions. Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology reported that volcanic tremors preceded the eruption, which began around 3.50 am local time (2.50am BST) and has continued with increasing intensity. The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has not issued new travel advice but advises tourists to follow local authority guidance and to be prepared for potential flight cancellations due to volcanic ash.
Sky News
4 days ago
- Climate
- Sky News
Mount Etna erupts in Sicily, sending huge plume of ash into sky and tourists fleeing
Mount Etna in Sicily has erupted, sending a huge plume of ash into the sky. Social media footage showed tourists running down the slopes as the highest active volcano in Europe erupted. Italy 's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said it expected the erupting ash cloud to disperse in a west-southwest direction. Watch live as Mount Etna erupts The monitoring institute said the "amplitude values of volcanic tremors are currently high" and were "showing a tendency to increase". It added the eruptive activity has "continued with strombolian explosions of increasing intensity that, at the moment, are to be considered to be very intense and almost continuous". "In the last few hours there's been reports of [a] little thin ash in Piano Vetore," the institute said. The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre Toulouse has issued a "code red" aviation warning, advising planes that a significant volume of ash in the atmosphere is likely. Mount Etna is one of the world's most active volcanoes. It was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2013.
