Volcanos

Roundup of Global Volcanic Activity

Etna (Sicily, Italy): The first eruption of Etna in 2016 has been rapidly changing, involving 3 of the 4 summit craters. After yesterday and partly today's strombolian activity from the North-East (and probably New SE) crater, a short, but violent phase of lava fountaining (paroxysm) occurred at the main summit vent, the Voragine. After this, the eruption has become dominantly effusive and is now producing a lava flow from a fissure vent on the lower eastern flank of the New SE crater. The lava flow, with one main channel and few secondary branches, is currently traveling into the Valle del Bove. The sequence of events at Etna's eruptions is often complex (for a detailed description, see the reports by INGV). Today's eruption was no exception, with some similarities to the last paroxysm of Voragine on 6 Dec 2015. The strombolian activity from the NE crater increased during last night and began to produce dense ash plumes during this morning. Early in the morning of 18 May, relatively weak (possibly small strombolian-type) activity began at a vent on the eastern flank of the New SE cone, the same that had appeared on 25 Nov last year. Around 1 pm, activity rapidly shifted to the Voragine summit crater where strong strombolian activity began and turned into a small paroxysym with pulsating lava fountaining and a lava flow from the summit crater. This activity lasted only a few hours before the current well-alimented lava flow from the New SE crater's flank vent appeared in the afternoon. A second paroxysm occurred at the Voragine summit crater this morning short time ago, i.e. less than 24 hours after yesterday's eruption. The activity is currently still going on but waning. The lava flow on the east side, from the base of the New SE crater, continues to be active, in the meanwhile. This time, visibility has been even worse and the event could only be inferred from the seismic signal and the ash plume (and ash falls) drifting towards the east.