MOUNT ETNA ERUPTS AGAIN COVERS SICILY IN ASH AND LAVA

Sun 20 April 2025:

Mt. Etna, Europe’s tallest active volcano, erupted again Friday evening on the Italian island of Sicily, sending ash and lava from its southeastern crater through early Saturday.

The eruption began around 7 pm (1700GMT) at the southeastern crater, located at an altitude of 2,900 meters (9,514 feet), according to local media reports. The lava split into three flows moving southeast down the slope, Italian daily La Stampa reported.

Residents said rumbling from the explosion was heard clearly in nearby villages.

The Catania branch of Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology confirmed the activity.

An orange aviation alert was issued overnight for aircraft flying near the area due to volcanic emissions.

__________________________________________________________________________

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22

__________________________________________________________________________

Catania Airport, near the volcano, remained fully operational and flights continued on schedule, officials reported.

Mount Etna, with an elevation of about 3,300 m (10,827 ft), is the tallest active volcano in continental Europe. The latest eruption is the fourth since the beginning of April, following another active period in February.

Mount Etna, Sicily’s towering stratovolcano, is Europe’s most active, with eruptions dating back over 500,000 years. Its recorded history begins around 1500 BCE, when phreatomagmatic blasts drove early settlers westward.

Ancient Greeks, including Hesiod, noted eruptions, with a 475 BCE event and a 396 BCE eruption that stopped a Carthaginian army. From 1500 BCE to 1669 CE, 71 eruptions were documented, 14 before the Common Era.

The 1669 eruption was catastrophic, with lava destroying parts of Catania, covering 37–40 square kilometers, though no deaths were confirmed. In 1928, lava obliterated Mascali, but orderly evacuations minimized loss of life.

The 20th century saw frequent activity: 1971 destroyed Etna’s observatory, 2001 and 2002 wrecked tourist sites, and 1987 claimed two lives from a sudden summit explosion.

Since 2000, Etna has erupted almost yearly, with notable 2021 outbursts sending ash 10 kilometers high, closing airports. The latest, in February 2025, spewed lava and ash from Bocca Nuova, drawing crowds despite risks. Etna’s slow-moving lava rarely kills but devastates land and infrastructure, shaping Sicily’s landscape and resilient culture.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

__________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

WhatsApp CHANNEL
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22