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The spectacular eruption of Mount Etna peaked yesterday as its lava waterfall stretched up to 1,500 meters to the top of the mountain, in a show one expert called “the most impressive in decades.”
Europe’s most active volcano has been in explosive form in recent weeks, ‘spitting’ incandescent magma and its ash rain, all the way to the city of Catania.
According to experts this fireworks display is part of its Strombolian eruption, which can be considered as one of the normal activities of the 3,300 meter high mountain.
“Etna is giving a rare spectacle these days,” said Marco Neri, a volcanologist at the Italian Institute of Geophysics.
“This is certainly the strongest eruption of the southern crater since its discovery in 1971. We have never seen eruptions so high in years, but there is still no danger to the population, except for respiratory problems that may come for some hours when ash covers streets and buildings.
Yesterday around 11pm, the brilliant lava flow accompanied by giant smoke passed 1,500 meters long as thousands of rock fragments were released from the crater a few miles high in the sky.
“It is certainly one of the most spectacular eruptions of recent decades,” said Boris Behncke, a volcanologist at the Geological Institute in Catania.
“This is in line with the usual activity of the volcano. “Etna is doing her normal things, even though they may seem bigger, more powerful or more threatening each time.”
Experts say Etna is releasing ‘primitive’ magma, a term by which they refer to the type of magma with relatively unchanged composition compared to the earth’s crust when it was formed. This is the deepest magma that comes from the interior of the mountain and has the greatest gas load, so it is capable of creating such stunning lava rivers.
“This kind of fresh magma has been seen before and produces brilliant lava waterfalls,” Behncke said. “Remember that in 1789 the lava glow reached 3,000 meters high and according to legend its light was so strong that you could read it at night.”
Frequent Etna eruptions have gradually changed the landscape of southeastern Sicily and in some cases threatened communities at the foot of the mountain.
The longest eruption of the volcano was recorded in 1614, when the eruptive activity lasted a full 10 years and the volcano erupted more than 1 billion cubic meters of lava, which covered 21 km / sq. Territory.
While its most devastating eruption is that of 1669, when the lava and earthquakes that followed buried dozens of villages and the devastation reached as far as the coast. / TheGuardian / prepared by: Andi Lamko /
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