Violent lava fountaining at Etna volcano, Italy
Image credit: INGV-OE
A phase of violent lava fountaining started at Etna’s Voragine crater during the afternoon hours (UTC) of July 4, 2024. At the same time, significantly increased activity is being observed at Stromboli volcano.
Strombolian activity that started on June 13 – 14, 2024, at Etna’s Voragine crater slowly intensified over the past few days and has intensified significantly in the late morning (LT) of July 4.
This activity was accompanied by two lava flows, which began in the previous days, produced by two mouths placed respectively on the south-eastern side and on the north-western side of the debris cone inside the crater, INGV volcanologists reported at 14:20 UTC today.
Since a couple of days, the Voragine crater at the summit of #Etna is emitting a small lava flow, which descends toward the nearby Bocca Nuova crater, forming spectacular lava cascades. Meanwhile Strombolian activity at the growing new cone is intensifying. Filmed 30 June 2024 pic.twitter.com/jQtraT9RxC
— Boris Behncke (@etnaboris) July 1, 2024
Visitors led by volcanological guides admire the magnificent show of Strombolian explosions and lava cascades from #Etna's Voragine crater on the evening of 2 July 2024 pic.twitter.com/1dRsBoyMDr
— Boris Behncke (@etnaboris) July 3, 2024
Oggi giornata di immagini molto spettacolari dai nostri #vulcani. Ecco con un video di questa mattina dall'Etna: un'intensa attivita' stromboliana al cratere Voragine da un nuovo cono di scorie e alimenta una colata di lava che si tuffa nel cratere di Bocca Nuova.#Etna #INGV pic.twitter.com/zuXVorJGba
— INGVvulcani (@INGVvulcani) July 3, 2024
This activity evolved into an intense lava fountaining (paroxysm), producing ash column up to 4.5 km (14 700 feet) a.s.l, INGV reported at 16:17 UTC.
The Aviation Color Code was raised to Red at 15:31 UTC. Ash cloud was observed drifting SE and ashfall was reported on the volcano’s SE flank and up to Catania.
Interestingly, Stromboli volcano is also exhibiting significantly increased activity today. Its Aviation Color Code was raised to Red at 15:43 UTC. Read more:
References:
1 Etna volcano updates – INGV-OE – July 4, 2024
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
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