New vent opens up at Etna volcano, Italy

new-vent-opens-up-at-etna-volcano-italy

A new vent opened yesterday morning at 09:14 UTC at Etna volcano, Italy. The new vent is located about 150 – 200 metres north of the two previous vents at the eastern base of the NE crater.

Its activity is characterized by small strombolian explosions while a lava flow continues to be weakly alimented from one of the two other vents, VolcanoDiscovery repots.

Termal image of the effusive vents at the base of the NE crater with graph volcanic tremors in last 6 days. Images credit: INGV Catania

Geologic summary

Mount Etna, towering above Catania, Sicily's second largest city, has one of the world's longest documented records of historical volcanism, dating back to 1500 BCE. Historical lava flows of basaltic composition cover much of the surface of this massive volcano, whose edifice is the highest and most voluminous in Italy. The Mongibello stratovolcano, truncated by several small calderas, was constructed during the late Pleistocene and Holocene over an older shield volcano. The most prominent morphological feature of Etna is the Valle del Bove, a 5 x 10 km horseshoe-shaped caldera open to the east.

Two styles of eruptive activity typically occur at Etna. Persistent explosive eruptions, sometimes with minor lava emissions, take place from one or more of the three prominent summit craters, the Central Crater, NE Crater, and SE Crater (the latter formed in 1978). Flank vents, typically with higher effusion rates, are less frequently active and originate from fissures that open progressively downward from near the summit (usually accompanied by strombolian eruptions at the upper end). Cinder cones are commonly constructed over the vents of lower-flank lava flows. Lava flows extend to the foot of the volcano on all sides and have reached the sea over a broad area on the SE flank. (GVP)

Featured image: The New SE crater with a steam ring. Image credit: INGV Catania

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