Etna erupts again, two months after the last eruption
Despite the shocking images, the volcanic tremor is "at a constant high level" and there is no fear that the situation could get out of control.
BarcelonaEarly Wednesday morning, Etna's southeastern crater entered a new eruptive phase, with explosions, lava flows, and clouds of gas and ash. According to Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), lava fountains from what is considered Europe's most active volcano have reached between 200 and 300 meters above the vents at the top of the crater.
Despite the shocking images shared since the eruption, around 3:30 a.m., the volcanic tremor is currently "at a constantly high level," so there are no fears that the situation could get out of control. Furthermore, the estimated height of the volcanic cloud—5,000 meters—and the southwesterly wind suggest it will not affect local activity or operations at Catania's Vincenzo Bellini International Airport, the closest to southern Sicily.
The first to notice the start of volcanic activity were residents of towns near Etna, who felt a seismic tremor around 2 a.m., before the crater erupted three-quarters of an hour later. Around 3:30 a.m., some towns, such as Paternò, were also showered with small solid fragments of lava, called lapili.
The reactivation of volcanic activity occurred just two months after the last eruption, on February 12. At that time, the massive volcanic activity, which lasted for days and left behind a three-kilometer lava flow, forced the closure of air traffic in Catania.
