Several volcanoes dominate the scenery on and around Sicily: Stromboli, Lipari, Vulcano and the etna. The latter looks impressive just because of its size, but is not considered by experts to be nearly as dangerous as, for example, Vulcano, after which all fire mountains are named. Since Thursday, Europe’s largest active volcano has been spewing lava fountains again, several streams of glowing rock flowed hundreds of meters down the mountain, and there was a column of smoke about 8,000 meters in the sky.
Ash cloud continues to flow from Mount Etna
On Friday morning, the spectacle was initially over again, according to the National Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), no more lava came out of the summit. However, an ash cloud continues to flow out of the crater. Operations at Catania Airport at the foot of Mount Etna were not disrupted – unlike last December, when Mount Etna was restless for the last time.
The 3340 meter high mountain on the Italian island erupts several times a year, but usually only spreads lava ash generously, which regularly annoys the inhabitants of Sicily. After an eruption last September, the Sicilian government paid the municipalities two million euros in aid for ash damage. On the other hand, the lava also ensures extremely fertile soil. To the delight of citrus and wine growers and their customers.
The seven Aeolian or Aeolian Islands – Lipari, Vulcano, Salina, Stromboli, Panarea, Filicudi and Alicudi – are all of volcanic origin. Lipari, Vulcano and Stromboli, which erupts several times a day, are still active. They are tectonically located at the interface where the African and Eurasian plates meet.