ROME (AP) – A particularly spectacular explosion of the Italian volcano Etna on Sunday threw an imposing cloud of ash and lava rock at Sicilian peoples, the latest in a series of explosions since mid-February.
The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology of Italy, INGV, said the powerful two-morning explosion was the tenth largest explosion since February 16, when Europe’s most active volcano began to erupt. give an impressive demonstration of the power of nature, coloring the night sky with striking shades of orange. and red.
The growing tremors shook the mountain for much of the night. Ash and small lava stones rained on Sunday morning in eight villages on the slopes of Mount Etna, while lava flowed from the southeastern crater slowly down an uninhabited side, as it has been doing for the past three weeks. say the institute.
The column of ash and lava reached a height of 10,000 meters on Sunday, according to scientists who monitor volcanic activity with specialized instruments from an observatory on Mount Etna in eastern Sicily.
Residents of the area swept ash and lava stones from their previous steps and balconies. They have been dedicated to covering cars parked outside with carpets, blankets and sheets of cardboard to facilitate cleaning after each explosion. The winds helped carry the ash east, INGV said.
No injuries or serious injuries were reported after the recent blasts. Geologically active, Mount Etna sometimes becomes particularly noisy and explosive as it has been lately.
By mid-morning, the last display of Etna activity had slowed somewhat with the end of the lava flow, although the volcano was still emitting a “weak ash emission” from the southeastern crater. . A few hours later, volcanic tremors reappeared, INGV said in a statement.
INGV scientists say there is no way to predict when this current round of particularly robust volcanic activity can be reduced.