Strong explosive eruption, lava fountains at Etna volcano, Aviation Color Code raised to Red, Italy

Mount Etna, Europe’s highest and most active volcano, showed a significant increase in volcanic activity on November 12, 2023, leading the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, Etna Observatory to raise the Aviation Color Code to Red.

The observatory reported an increase in Strombolian activity at Etna’s Southeast Crater (SEC) at 09:00 UTC on November 12, accompanied by a modest lava overflow, confined to the SEC’s saddle.

This increase in volcanic activity coincided with a substantial rise in volcanic earthquakes, peaking at 9:00 UTC, with quake sources aligning with the SEC at approximately 2 900 m (9 515 feet) above sea level.

Despite the worsening conditions, the observatory’s GNSS and clinometric networks have not recorded any significant variations. However, at 15:58 UTC, the observatory updated that ashfall was reported in the village of Milo, with volcanic tremors intensifying and infrasonic signals widening, primarily localized in SEC.

A few scenes of the paroxysm at #Etna's Southeast Crater on the evening of 12 November 2023. Unfortunately, clouds covered the volcano most of the time, and there were only rare glimpses of the lava fountains. First scene filmed from Taormina, the others from Tremestieri Etneo pic.twitter.com/SteQnkm0I5

— Boris Behncke (@etnaboris) November 12, 2023

COMUNICATO ATTIVITA' VULCANICA 2023-11-12 13:02UTC – ETNA
L'INGV-OE comunica che alle ore 9UTC è stato registrato un incremento dell'attività stromboliana al CSE accompagnata da un modesto trabocco lavico dalla sella del Sud Esthttps://t.co/tJmhC0MNDm
foto B Behncke – INGV-OE pic.twitter.com/7LiWgarGG7

— INGVvulcani (@INGVvulcani) November 12, 2023

Etna, parossismo in corso: diretta video https://t.co/4BmMBYwmNf

— Local Team (@localteamit) November 12, 2023

COMUNICATO ATTIVITA' VULCANICA del 2023-11-12 15:58 UTC – ETNA.
L'INGV-OE comunica cha da personale INGV sul campo è stata segnalata ricaduta di cenere nel paese di Milo.
Il tremore vulcanico è ulteriormente aumentato rispetto al comunicato precedente.https://t.co/tJmhC0MNDm pic.twitter.com/li0ZGSYcM8

— INGVvulcani (@INGVvulcani) November 12, 2023

COMUNICATO ATTIVITA' VULCANICA 2023-11-12 17:43 UTC – ETNA
L'INGV-OE comunica che dalle analisi delle immagini della rete di telecamere di sorveglianza è in atto una fontana di lava al CSE, l'altezza della colonna eruttiva è stimata a circa 4500 m s.l.m. https://t.co/tJmhC0MNDm pic.twitter.com/hXU5aO45zL

— INGVvulcani (@INGVvulcani) November 12, 2023

Earlier on November 9, the Etna Observatory reported moderate explosive activity at the summit craters and subsequently elevated the Aviation Color Code from Yellow to Orange.

By November 12 at 14:49 UTC, with the detection of strong explosive activity at the summit craters and a lava fountain at the CSE, estimated at 4 500 m (14 763 feet) above sea level, the Aviation Color Code was raised to Red.

While volcanic ash was not visible, an SO₂ cloud located 185 km (115 miles) east of Etna was moving eastward at 92 km/h (57 mph) and dissipating, the Toulouse VAAC reported at 22:00 UTC on November 12.

As of 09:00 UTC on November 13, no further updates have been released.

References:

¹ INVIO COMUNICATO GENERICO DI ATTIVITà VULCANICA – INGV-OE – November 12, 2023

Featured image credit: Local Team (stillshot)