Mount Etna Erupts with Ash Plumes and Explosions

The eruption, while dramatic in photographs and videos, caused minimal disturbance. Flights at the Sicilian airports remained unaffected. Etna, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, frequently erupts but rarely causes serious damage or injuries.

Volcanism and Eruption Dynamics
The eruption had started on the south-eastern flank of the volcano, near a 200m-wide summit crater, according to the INGV. There had been hints of ground movements that suggested activity in this area before the eruption happened. Video footage taken on Monday of a pyroclastic flow, a fast-moving tide of ash, gas and rocks, was seen descending the side of the volcano.

Geologists think the flow was a partial collapse of the volcano's cauldron. The volcanic material has so far not reached beyond the Valley of the Lion, the landmark where tourist visits normally stop. Although pyroclastic flows are hazardous, there is no imminent danger here.

Characteristics of the The Eruption, Status of Air Traffic
Activity was observed around 00:39 local time (22:39 GMT), INGV said, and a "Strombolian" eruption was in progress. Strombolian eruptions are itself explosions which are triggered by the bursting of gas bubbles rising in the magma as it becomes closer to the surface. Such explosions can send material into the air and — if ejected high enough — become a risk to airplanes.

A red alert was issued earlier in the day, which probably delayed some nearby flights, but then this was downgraded after conditions stabilized. Mount Etna saw a major eruption in February as machine guns of ash cloud were blasted into the sky and flights were diverted after Sicily's biggest natural attraction blew its top earlier this year.