Nature & Environment
Watch Italy's Explosive Mount Etna Erupt, Lighting up the Night Sky (Video)
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Mar 06, 2013 08:34 AM EST
Mount Etna sent plumes of ash and lava into the night sky on Tuesday, creating a spectacular display for anyone nearby.
This isn't the first time that the volcano has erupted. The explosive nature of this volcano sometimes causes planes to alter their routes in order to avoid flying through the clouds of ash. Yet these precautions are all just another part of life for the residents that live nearby.
The volcano itself is located in Sicily. Known as one of the world's most active volcanoes, Mount Etna has been erupting for the past half a million years. The first one is estimated to have occurred in 1500 BCE, and dormant periods for the volcano are very rare.
Mount Etna is what is known as a strato volcano, which is a volcano that opens downward to a pool of molten rock below the surface of the Earth. As pressure builds, eruptions occur where gases and molten rock shoot up through the opening and into the air.
In previous eruptions in 2011, Mount Etna's violent bursts could be spotted from as far away as space. It's been known to spew lava shooting as high as 4,500 feet into the air. Standing nearly 11,000 feet high by itself, the sight is certainly spectacular to behold. A recent eruption that occurred in February was heralded by lava and strong flashes in the volcano's New Southeast Crater on Jan. 22.
In this latest eruption, though, it was business as usual. Airports continued running and no flights were altered due to the lava. However, several roads nearby were covered by volcanic stones.
Currently, there are several inhabited villages on the slopes of Mount Etna. In order to combat the frequent eruptions, ditches have been dug around the base of the volcano in order to divert potential lava flows and protect communities.
Want to see Mount Etna in action? Check out the video below, originally appearing here.
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First Posted: Mar 06, 2013 08:34 AM EST
Mount Etna sent plumes of ash and lava into the night sky on Tuesday, creating a spectacular display for anyone nearby.
This isn't the first time that the volcano has erupted. The explosive nature of this volcano sometimes causes planes to alter their routes in order to avoid flying through the clouds of ash. Yet these precautions are all just another part of life for the residents that live nearby.
The volcano itself is located in Sicily. Known as one of the world's most active volcanoes, Mount Etna has been erupting for the past half a million years. The first one is estimated to have occurred in 1500 BCE, and dormant periods for the volcano are very rare.
Mount Etna is what is known as a strato volcano, which is a volcano that opens downward to a pool of molten rock below the surface of the Earth. As pressure builds, eruptions occur where gases and molten rock shoot up through the opening and into the air.
In previous eruptions in 2011, Mount Etna's violent bursts could be spotted from as far away as space. It's been known to spew lava shooting as high as 4,500 feet into the air. Standing nearly 11,000 feet high by itself, the sight is certainly spectacular to behold. A recent eruption that occurred in February was heralded by lava and strong flashes in the volcano's New Southeast Crater on Jan. 22.
In this latest eruption, though, it was business as usual. Airports continued running and no flights were altered due to the lava. However, several roads nearby were covered by volcanic stones.
Currently, there are several inhabited villages on the slopes of Mount Etna. In order to combat the frequent eruptions, ditches have been dug around the base of the volcano in order to divert potential lava flows and protect communities.
Want to see Mount Etna in action? Check out the video below, originally appearing here.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone