Mount Etna

Mount Etna

Sicily's greatest natural attraction is also its highest mountain. To the ancient Greeks, Mount Etna was the realm of Vulcan, god of fire, and the home of the one-eyed monster known as the Cyclops. At approximately 3350 meters, it is Europe's highest active volcano. The height of its summit changes with each eruption, and over the centuries a few lava flows have reached the coast. Over 1200 square meters of Etna's surface is covered with solidified lava. Etna offers skiing in the Winter months and breathtaking hikes in the woods during the Summer. There are also a number of smaller peaks on the slopes of Etna, and some interesting caverns. Since Etna is a strato volcano, with relatively cool lava temperatures and numerous openings (vents), nobody ever knows precisely where on its vast surface the next eruption will be. Etna's long recorded history has proven invaluable to the world's volcanologists. Mount Etna is said to erupt in a Strombolian style in which the mountain erupts like a fountain from a single vent or crater.

Mount Etna is located on the east coast of the Island of Sicily and it lies north of Catania, which is Sicily's second largest city. It is considered to be a complex volcano, because it is a mixture of a shield, stratovolcano and a caldera volcano. "A volcano composed of steep, alternating layers of lava and pyroclastic materials, including ash, is called a stratovolcano. Stratovolcanos are associated with relatively viscous lava and with explosive eruptions. They are the most common form of large continental volcanos."(American Heritage Dictionary) "A caldera is a large, usually circular depression at the summit of a volcano formed when magma is withdrawn or erupted from a shallow underground magma reservoir. The removal of large volumes of magma may result in loss of structural support for the overlying rock, thereby leading to collapse of the ground and formation of a large depression."(NOVA) Volcanic activity at Etna began about half a million years ago. It has the longest record of historical eruptions among all volcanoes on this Earth, with its first documented eruption at about 1500 B.C. From about 35,000 to 15,000 years ago, Etna experienced highly explosive eruptions, resulting in ignimbrite deposits. These deposits are "formed by the welding together of tuff material from an explosive volcanic eruption."(American Heritage Dictionary)

Perhaps the most destructive eruption from Mount Etna came in 1669. This is when lava flowed down the slope and ended up destructing a dozen villages. In its destruction it managed to cover the western portion of Catania. This eruption had historical importance because it is considered to be the first known attempt in history that people attempted to dig trenches to divert the lava. One of the main areas of Mount Etna is the Valle del Bove (Valley of the Oxen), which is a deep valley located on the eastern flank of the volcano. The origin of the name may still be a mystery, but this area of the volcano just may hold the key to unlocking the evolution of Mount Etna. Researchers have been studying the valley and in the process they have been able to reconstruct some of the events that have taken place throughout Mount Etna's history. In 2002-2003, the biggest series of eruptions for many years threw up a huge column of ash that could easily be seen from space and fell as far away as Libya, 600 km south across the Mediterranean Sea. Seismic activity in this eruption caused the eastern flanks of the volcano to slip by up to two meters, and many houses on the flanks of the volcano experienced structural damage. On September 4, 2007 Etna violently erupted at around 8:00 p.m. local time. It spewed lava up to 400 meters into the air along with strong winds that sent ash and smoke into the underlying towns. This proves that living anywhere near or around this active volcano is very dangerous. Its inhabitants must immediately evacuate their home as soon as they even sense that the volcano is going to erupt. This southeast crater eruption was visible far into the plains of Sicily ending the following morning between the hours of 5 to 7 am local time. Catania-Fontanarossa Airport shut down operations during the night for safety precautions. Dikes have been built on several occasions to stem and redirect the flows of molten lava. Etna provides many advantages for the residents of Sicily, which vary greatly and are fair consolation for the constant threat to their livelihoods. One of the great advantages