UMBRIA, TUSCANY AND BEYOND - AN ITALIAN TRAVELOGUE

 SICILY'S MOUNT ETNA - A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH!!

International news media are reporting this morning (22nd February 22) that Mount Etna on the Italian island of Sicily and one of Europe's most active volcanoes, began to violently erupt again yesterday!

A pillar of ash and debris, related to a lava flow on the southeastern slope of the mountain, rose 6.2 miles in to the sky. Vulcanologists have been reporting increased seismic activity in the region since the middle of February when the volcano first showed signs of significant activity. Though there are no reports of casualities or damage to communities so far, the authorities decided to close Vincenzo Bellini international airport near Catania at lunchtime yesterday for several hours. 

ERUPTION OF MOUNT ETNA
FEBRUARY 21st 2022

It's just two years, almost to the week, since I was staying in Catania and let me tell you - this volcano is an ever present spectre for anyone living in the city. Not for nothing did the Romans see Etna as the home of the god Vulcan - arms supplier to their Gods. Sit and have a coffee in the main square and you can see its dominating summit above the urban skyline. It was smoking at the time I was there! Walk round the town and there's evidence of former volcanic activity in several spots. On one walk I did the remnants of a medival fortress had solidified lava flows almost up to its walls. The largest recorded eruption took place in 1669 when large chunks of the town were destroyed. 

LAVA FLOWS NEAR CATANIA'S
MEDIEVAL CASTLE
Photo taken by me in February 2020

 

VIEW OF THE 1669 ETNA ERUPTION AND
LAVA FLOWS TOWARDS THE TOWN OF CATANIA

Mount Etna sits on a base which lies on top of the convergence point between the African and Eurasion continental plates, so any movement along that line causes stresses and strains in the surrounding rocks which can lead to cracks and fissures and the build up of liquid hot magma from the earth's core. That's probably what's happening now. What will happen in the next few weeks remains to be seen but Catania's residents will be watching the situation carefully for sure!!