This Is Italy
On Sunday, June 2, tourists in Sicily were unpleasantly surprised by a sudden eruption of Etna. Footage shows travelers watching in disbelief as the volcano spews a thick cloud of ash into the air. Etna, Europe's highest active volcano at 3.357 meters, showed its turbulent side again.
According to the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), volcanic activity increased significantly in the early morning. Strombolian explosions were observed, a type of eruption characterized by short, powerful bursts of gas and lava.
Ash rain and streams of fire provide spectacle
A fine ash fall was reported in the vicinity of Piano Vetore. INGV experts also reported that a pyroclastic flow occurred – a dangerous, fast-flowing mixture of glowing ash and rock – probably caused by the collapse of material on the north flank of the southeastern crater.
The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Toulouse issued a precautionary red aviation warning, which was later lowered to orange. The president of the Sicilian region, Renato Schifani, reassured the population: according to experts, the eruption did not pose an immediate danger, as the pyroclastic flow was confined to the Valley of the Lions, an area known as a tourist attraction.
Etna remains an impressive but unpredictable natural phenomenon that demonstrates time and again why it is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
Source: TCE
Comments