Mount Etna eruption causes airspace closure

Phys.org ^ | Dec 24, 2018

[ETL]

The Mount Etna volcano erupted on Monday, spewing ash as several minor earthquakes hit the region, and prompting a partial closure of the Sicilian airspace around the mountain.

Italy's national institute for geophysics and vulcanology (INGV) counted more than 130 seismic shocks in the zone, with the strongest reaching a magnitude of 4.0.

"The eruption occurred on the side of Etna," Boris Behncke, a vulcanologist at INGV, told AFP. "It's the first lateral eruption in more than 10 years, but it doesn't seem to be dangerous."

Due to bad visibility because of the ash authorities restricted local airspace, allowing only four landings per hour Monday afternoon at the eastern Sicilian airport of Catania.

Visibility was still too poor to determine whether the eruption was accompanied by lava, Behncke said.

At any rate, both the seismic activity and ash production appeared to be diminishing in the afternoon, he said.

Mount Etna, 3,300 metres high, is the biggest active volcano in Europe, with frequent eruptions recorded in the past 2,700 years.

Its most recent eruptions occurred in the spring of 2017 and its last major eruption in the 2008/2009 winter.

At the end of March a study published in the Bulletin of Volcanology said that Etna is slowly sliding towards the Mediterranean—at a constant pace of 14 millimetres per year.

Explore further: Mount Etna volcano roars into action with ash and lava

[ETL]

[Cowboy Bob]

Will Italy be charged by the EU for causing pollution?

[cp124]

Oh no. Global warming.

The climate change cult members need to throw themselves into the volcano as a sacrifice to their God Algore.

[ETL]

The climate change cult members need to throw themselves into the volcano as a sacrifice to their God Algore.

This slob should serve as a good "plug".

[Delta 21]

The sulfer and carbon dioxide released in such a short time!

[bgill]

Despite all the ash and holiday interruptions, it is quite beautiful.

[BipolarBob]

IF ONLY Italy had signed on to the Paris Accord on Climate, this never would have happened.

/s

[PIF]

Unless I am mistaken, Campi Flegrei (just north of Etna and west of Vesuvius) is a dormant super volcano like Yellowstone

[crz]

Yup. AND the ground is so hot around Naples, that in places a person cant stand still for any length of time.

[moovova]

Visited the upper most crater while stationed there in the ‘70s. Took the family many years later and was only allowed half way up. Not sure how far up they’ll allow you to go now (in a non-active period), but will worth the visit. Probably as close to a lunar landscape as you can find on planet Earf.

Please let Taormina be OK.

[Ann Archy]

Amen!! Taormina is gorgeous!!

[Boomer]

I have a cousin in Sicily who just died from cancer. I wonder if this is him letting his family know he made it to Heaven okay...

[csvset]

If they weren’t having enough excitement.

Mount Etna: New 4.8-magnitude earthquake hits Sicily

A 4.8-magnitude earthquake has hit Sicily near Europe's most active volcano, Mount Etna, injuring at least 28 people, Italian officials say.

Ten people were taken to hospital suffering from light injuries caused by falling debris.

Some buildings were damaged in what was the strongest in dozens of tremors since Etna erupted on Monday.

Volcanic ash had earlier covered nearby villages and Catania airport had to temporarily suspend operations.

The earthquake struck at 03:19 local time (02:19 GMT) on Wednesday near the municipality of Viagrande.

In the village of Fleri, an 80-year-old man had to be rescued from his home. A local church was also damaged.

[ETL]

Thanks. This just happened today? (Dec 26)

[csvset]

Yes, early this morning.

[csvset]

Aerial footage shows damage from Italy quakes

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks ETL. This is oldest active volcano in the Med basin, if memory serves, and the place where the philosopher Empedocles offed himself.

"It's the first lateral eruption in more than 10 years, but it doesn't seem to be dangerous."

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[SunkenCiv]

Campi Flegrei is shown in the map ETL posted above, it's not merely "just north of Etna", it's many miles and across the Tyrhennian Sea, up the coast of Italy. The Phlegraean Fields / Campi Flegrei keywords, sorted:

• Painted tomb discovered in Cumae (Italy): A banquet frozen in time [2018]
• Family of three die after falling into boiling mud as sink hole opens up in volcanic area in Italy [2017]
• Can Volcanic Gas Levels Predict an Eruption? [2017]
• Europe's Most Dangerous Supervolcano Is Waking Up; 500,000 Lives At Risk [2017]
• Massive Volcano Near Naples Begins Rumbling [2016]
• A supervolcano caused the largest eruption in European history. Now it's stirring again. [2016]
• Naples astride a rumbling mega-volcano [2016]
• Volcanic eruption near Naples may have killed Neanderthals [2014]
• Dating the Uluzzian [2014]
• Italian 'Super Volcano' May Threaten Millions: Scientists plan to drill deep below Romans'... [2012]
• Volcanoes Killed Off Neanderthals, Study Suggests [2010]
• Ground Rises Near Ancient Italian Volcano [2007]