Latest news with #NationalInstituteofGeophysics
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Climate
- Irish Times
Mount Etna eruption: Tourists in Sicily flee clouds of gas and ash
Tourists on the Italian island of Sicily were forced to flee 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 on Monday. More than 20 per cent 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. READ MORE [ Australian woman accused of triple mushroom murders breaks down in court Opens in new window ] As a popular tourist destination, Sicily welcomes many millions of travellers annually, with more than 1 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. Smoke rises from the crater of the Etna volcano as it erupts, on Mount Etna near Catania on June 2nd Photograph: AFP via Getty Images 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,' Hannah Camper said in a WhatsApp message. 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 a 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. - The New York Times
Malay Mail
4 days ago
- Climate
- Malay Mail
Italy's Mount Etna unleashes dramatic eruption with lava fountain and 6.5km ash plume
ROME, June 3 — A huge plume of ash, gas and rock spewed forth on Monday from Italy's Mount Etna as authorities warned people to steer clear of Europe's largest active volcano. Sicily's Mount Etna has been active recently but Monday's eruption was the most dramatic, with experts warning that such activity could continue for weeks. Images showed a massive grey cloud billowing from the volcano on the island of Sicily, beginning at 11.24am local time (0924 GMT), according to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV). Surveillance cameras showed 'a pyroclastic flow probably produced by a collapse of material from the northern flank of the Southeast Crater', the agency said. A pyroclastic flow — which is extremely dangerous — occurs when volcanic rock, ash and hot gasses surge from volcanos. The explosive activity 'had transitioned to a lava fountain', INGV said, describing jets of lava being sprayed into the air. By early afternoon, the plume had begun to dissipate. An initial red alert that INGV issued for aviation authorities — which estimated the height of the volcanic cloud at 6.5 kilometres — was downgraded to orange, then yellow. Sicily's nearby Catania Airport remained open Monday. By mid-afternoon, INGV said the eruption had stopped, with 'no ash cloud produced'. The president of the region of Sicily, Renato Schifani, said experts had assured him there was 'no danger for the population', with the flow not having passed the Valley of the Lion, an area frequented by tourists. Videos posted on social media appeared to show tourists hurrying down the side of the volcano, some taking photos, but AFP could not determine their authenticity. 'The partial collapse of the Southeast Crater, which generated an impressive eruptive cloud several kilometres high and a pyroclastic flow, is a phenomenon that we follow with extreme caution,' Schifani said. The head of the regional civil protection unit, Salvo Cocina, recommended that tourists avoid the area. Persistent activity The intensity of the volcano seen on Monday 'is one of the signs of the continuous dynamism of Etna', the president of the Italian Association of Volcanology, Marco Viccaro, told Corriere della Sera daily. 'The paroxysm that began last night and has continued to grow in intensity, falls within the dynamics of a volcano in persistent activity,' he said, noting that Etna had been active for 'several weeks'. That phase has been marked by 'short-duration episodes, with intense energy' but less than those seen between 2020 and 2022, he said. 'This is strombolian activity that is relatively mild in the early stages and then rapidly intensifies until it produces explosions that are fairly energetic in frequency,' he added. The volcano was in a 'recharge phase' in which magma, usually much deeper within the earth, was now closer to the surface. How much of that magma had risen would determine how long the activity would continue, said Viccaro. 'The evolution depends on the volumes of magma that have entered the upper part of the feeding system,' he said. The activity, he added, 'could evolve over weeks, if not months, with similar episodes to those we have witnessed.' — AFP
Japan Times
4 days ago
- Climate
- Japan Times
Italy's Mount Etna erupts, spewing ash, gas and rock
A huge plume of ash, gas and rock spewed forth on Monday from Italy's Mount Etna as authorities warned people to steer clear of Europe's largest active volcano. Sicily's Mount Etna has been active recently but Monday's eruption was the most dramatic, with experts warning that such activity could continue for weeks. Images showed a massive gray cloud billowing from the volcano on the island of Sicily, beginning at 11:24 am local time (0924 GMT), according to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV). Surveillance cameras showed "a pyroclastic flow probably produced by a collapse of material from the northern flank of the Southeast Crater", the agency said. A pyroclastic flow — which is extremely dangerous — occurs when volcanic rock, ash and hot gases surge from volcanos. The explosive activity "had transitioned to a lava fountain", INGV said, describing jets of lava being sprayed into the air. By early afternoon, the plume had begun to dissipate. An initial red alert that INGV issued for aviation authorities — which estimated the height of the volcanic cloud at 6.5 kilometers (more than four miles) — was downgraded to orange, then yellow. Sicily's nearby Catania Airport remained open Monday. By mid-afternoon, INGV said the eruption had stopped, with "no ash cloud produced". The president of the region of Sicily, Renato Schifani, said experts had assured him there was "no danger for the population", with the flow not having passed the Valley of the Lion, an area frequented by tourists. Videos posted on social media appeared to show tourists hurrying down the side of the volcano, some taking photos. "The partial collapse of the Southeast Crater, which generated an impressive eruptive cloud several kilometers high and a pyroclastic flow, is a phenomenon that we follow with extreme caution," Schifani said. The head of the regional civil protection unit, Salvo Cocina, recommended that tourists avoid the area. Persistent activity The intensity of the volcano seen on Monday "is one of the signs of the continuous dynamism of Etna", the president of the Italian Association of Volcanology, Marco Viccaro, told Corriere della Sera daily. "The paroxysm that began last night and has continued to grow in intensity, falls within the dynamics of a volcano in persistent activity," he said, noting that Etna had been active for "several weeks". That phase has been marked by "short-duration episodes, with intense energy" but less than those seen between 2020 and 2022, he said. "This is strombolian activity that is relatively mild in the early stages and then rapidly intensifies until it produces explosions that are fairly energetic in frequency," he added. The volcano was in a "recharge phase" in which magma, usually much deeper within the earth, was now closer to the surface. How much of that magma had risen would determine how long the activity would continue, said Viccaro. "The evolution depends on the volumes of magma that have entered the upper part of the feeding system," he said. The activity, he added, "could evolve over weeks, if not months, with similar episodes to those we have witnessed."
Times
4 days ago
- Climate
- Times
Is it safe to travel to Sicily after Mount Etna eruption? Latest advice
Sicily's Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe, erupted on the morning of Monday, June 2. Tourists could be seen running down its slopes as huge plumes of smoke rose into the sky. The eruption began at about 4am local time. Describing the release of magma, Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said there had been 'strombolian explosions of growing intensity' in the hours after the initial eruption. The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre Toulouse issued a brief 'code red' for aviation due to the eruption. This alert had been downgraded to 'orange' at the time of writing. The local airport, Catania, is operating as normal, and there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. Mount Etna last erupted in May this year, although it has erupted hundreds of times since the first recorded instance in 1500BC. If you've got a trip to Sicily coming up, here's what you need to know. Europe's largest volcano, Mount Etna is on the east coast of Sicily, a Mediterranean island and region of Italy. Set slightly inland with the city of Catania to the south and popular tourist resort of Taormina to the north, it is the most active stratovolcano in the world, and has been a Unesco world heritage site since 2013. Yes, but do keep an eye on the latest advice. Flights are currently operating as normal, with some delays reported at Catania airport. Local airspace remains open and the UK Foreign Office has not updated its travel advice following the eruption. Mount Etna last erupted in May 2025. Eruptions are fairly common, with at least one a year. These generally have minimal impact on local residents and towns, but some have caused significant damage over the years. A major eruption in 1971 buried the Etna Observatory, destroyed orchards and vineyards, and threatened several villages. • Mount Etna eruption: huge plumes of smoke above volcano
BBC News
4 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Mount Etna erupts as large plumes rise from Italian volcano
Italy's Mount Etna has erupted, with large plumes of ash and smoke seen rising from the and video from the island of Sicily showed volcanic material spilling out of the volcano on Monday morning.A number of explosions of "increasing intensity" were recorded in the early hours on Monday morning, Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) Etna Observatory full scale of the eruption is currently unclear and disruption appears to be Etna is one of the world's most active volcanoes, so eruptions are not uncommon and its outbursts rarely cause significant damage or injury. Ground movements indicated latest eruption happened on the south eastern edge of the volcano, according to INGV. This appears to be where a known 200m-wide vent shared throughout Monday shows a rapidly moving mix of ash, gas and rock - known as a pyroclastic flow - emerging from the site and moving down the side of the monitoring the eruption said it was likely that part of volcano's crater collapsed and that this was the material being carried down its slopes. Pyroclastic flow can be very dangerous to the surrounding area, but there has been no indication of an imminent its most recent update, INGV noted that the volcanic material had not yet gone past the Valley of the Lion, the point on the approach to the summit where tourist trips said it first recorded changes in the volcano's activity at 00:39 local time (22:39 GMT), before clarifying that there was an ongoing "Strombolian" size of Strombolian eruptions can vary but are often characterised by intermittent explosions, which occur due to the presence of gas in the magma chamber within the volcano. When the gas bubbles reach the surface, they can burst suddenly, throwing material skywards. The process is not dissimilar to letting gas out of a fizzy types of eruptions can be particularly dangerous for nearby aircraft.A red alert was reportedly issued earlier on Monday, possibly suspending flights operating nearby, but this was later Etna's last notable eruption came in February and caused the island's Catania airport to divert dozens of flights because of ash were also warned to stay away from the volcano's lava flows.
