ETNA, Italy – For the fifth time this summer, Italy Mount Etna The volcano has started erupting and spewing ash over Sicily, temporarily halting flights.
ItalyThe National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) said Etna began erupting on Sunday. Video from INGV’s monitoring showed a lava fountain producing a huge ash cloud from around 3 a.m. local time.
A column of ash was seen rising from the volcano more than 32,000 feet above neighboring cities.
According to the INGV, there are continuous lava flows from the Bocca Nuova and Voragine craters.
Flights to Sicily Catania International Airport were temporarily suspended from part of the airport Sunday after the ash dumping stopped. However, officials warn of possible further delays as the eruption continues.
WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE A VOLCANO ERUPTS?
Etna has been experiencing eruptive activity throughout the month of July, including just over a week ago with several other eruptive events since early July. Sunday’s eruption is the fifth resulting from strombolian activity since late June.
Etna, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, sits atop the convergent plate boundary where the African Plate meets the Eurasian Plate. This towering peak is one of Europe’s tallest active volcanoes and the highest point in Italy south of the Alps, currently standing at over 11,000 feet.
Etna is believed to have the longest documented history of eruptions of any volcano, with records dating back to 425 BC.
Source original article: Italy’s Etna erupts again, sending ash plume 9,700 meters into the air
