Latest news with #Volcanology
The Independent
03-06-2025
- 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.
BBC News
03-06-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Mount Etna: Volcano erupts again sending ash plumes into sky
Europe's most active volcano, Mount Etna, erupted again on Monday, sending large plumes of ash and smoke into the skies above the island of Sicily in Italy. Mount Etna's eruptions happen quite frequent, and they are not usually disruptive or a threat to the local people. The full scale of the eruption is currently unclear, but it is not expected to cause significant damage or are keeping a close eye on the volcano's activity. Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) Etna Observatory said it was likely that part of the volcano's crater had collapsed and that this was the material being carried down its material, known as pyroclastic flow, can be dangerous to the surrounding area, but there has been no indication of it being a threat a the moment. Planes are still able to fly in and out of the island's airports, despite an earlier warning there may be some disruption. Mount Etna is on the largest Mediterranean island of Sicily, which is located off the south coast of last erupted around two weeks ago, when lava was seen spewing into the air and down the side of the mountain.
The Independent
02-06-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Mount Etna eruption live: Huge volcanic blast in Italy sends tourists fleeing
Mount Etna has erupted in Sicily, spewing a huge column of smoke and ash into the sky above the Italian island. Footage shared on social media showed people running for their lives down the mountainside as a thick column of smoke intensified above them. Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said in a widely reported statement that the volcano was experiencing strong strombolian explosions – a type of eruption – 'of growing intensity'. 'Over the past few hours, the falling of a little thin ash has been flagged in the Piano Vetore area,' the statement said. According to the Volcanic Discovery website, prior to the eruption there were volcanic tremors which began at around 10pm local time and reached their peak shortly before 1am.
Malay Mail
18-05-2025
- Climate
- Malay Mail
Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi's eruption sends ash 6,000 metres into sky, prompting highest aviation warning
JAKARTA, May 18 — Mount Lewotobi in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province erupted multiple times on Sunday, prompting the country's Volcanology and Geology Disaster Mitigation Centre to issue its highest aviation alert, reported Xinhua. The strongest eruption occurred at 14:05 local time, sending a massive ash column up to 6,000 metres into the sky. Thick gray volcanic clouds spread northward, northeastward, westward, and northwestward from the crater. Authorities raised the Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation (VONA) to red level, the highest warning, advising aircraft to avoid flying below 6,000 metres near the volcano due to hazardous ash. Airlines were also cautioned about potential flight disruptions caused by the ash plume. To protect nearby communities, officials established a 6-kilometre danger zone around the crater, prohibiting tourists and visitors from entering. Residents on the slopes were warned of potential lahars (volcanic mudflows) triggered by heavy rains, as rivers originating from the summit could channel debris. Those in ash-affected areas were advised to wear face masks to reduce respiratory risks from airborne particles. Standing at 1,584 metres, Mount Lewotobi is one of Indonesia's 127 active volcanoes. — Bernama-Xinhua
Saudi Gazette
12-03-2025
- Climate
- Saudi Gazette
Guatemala's Fuego volcano erupts, authorities call for evacuation of 30,000 people
GUATEMALA CITY — Guatemala's Fuego volcano, considered by seismologists to be one of the most active volcanoes in the world, is currently erupting. Authorities in the Central American state have already evacuated nearly 300 families but warn that another 30,000 people in the area, located some 60 kilometers from the capital, could be at risk. The eruption began Sunday night and so far no casualties have been reported. Authorities have closed all schools in the vicinity and a key road connecting several communities in the area. Experts say the greatest danger from the volcano is not the eruption itself but the lahars, a 'tsunami' of ash, rock, mud and debris that can bury entire villages. At 3,763 meters high, the last eruption of 'Chi'gag' — which would translate from the native Cachiquel into Spanish as "the place where the fire is" — was in June 2023. A previous eruption in 2018 killed 194 people and left 234 others missing. The Fuego volcano has only been inactive for 50 days, according to the National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology (Insivumeh). Isaac García, 43, a resident of the town of El Porvenir on the slopes of the volcano, had that tragedy in mind when he and his family decided to heed the warnings of the authorities and flee their home. The García family has gone to the public shelter opened in San Juan Alotenango with his mother, wife and three children, as well as other family members. The flow of volcanic material is moderate but is expected to increase, Guatemala's disaster agency said early this morning. Airlines are also operating with restrictions because ash spewing from 'Chi'gag' can reach up to 7,000 meters, according to Insivumeh. — Euronews
