Drone footage captures ephemeral vent and expanding lava field at Mount Etna, Italy

A drone video captured on February 24, 2025, shows the evolving lava field from an ephemeral vent at 3.05 km (10 000 feet) a.s.l. on the southwestern slope of Mount Etna, Italy.

A newly released drone video from the Cartography and Drones Laboratory of INGV-OE captured the evolving lava field from an ephemeral vent at 3.05 km (10 006 feet) above sea level (a.s.l.) on the southwestern slope of Mount Etna.

The footage, recorded on February 24, begins with visible light imaging before transitioning to thermal imaging at the 56-second mark, revealing temperature contrasts between active and cooling lava flows.

The ephemeral vent, which has been active since February 8, continues to release lava, forming a complex and fractured terrain with multiple overlapping flow units. The thermal sensor shows the hottest, most active lava in white and yellow, while the cooler, solidifying sections appear in fuchsia.

The lava field extends downslope, with the video played at increased speed to provide a clearer view of its movement.

Featured image credit: INGV

Rishika Yadav

Rishika holds a Master’s in International Studies from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, where she earned a gold medal, and an MCA from the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. During her tenure, she contributed as a Junior Writer for Europe Monitor on the Global Politics website and as an Assistant Editor for The World This Week. Her work has also been published in The Hindu newspaper, showing her expertise in global affairs. Rishika is also a recipient of the Women Empowerment Award at the district level in Haryana, India, in 2022.

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