Mount Etna Eruption: Italy Issues 'Orange Level Warning' as Volcano Spews Lava, Volcanic Ash Cloud

Mount Etna erupted recently and prompted Italy's seismic authorities to issue volcano alerts, including an orange level warning and a red code alert, after the stratovolcano spewed dangerous lava and volcanic ash clouds. No evacuations or casualties have been reported as of Wednesday, November 15 local authorities are monitoring the looming threat posed by Mount Etna volcano. It is one of Europe's largest active volcanoes and one of Earth's most active volcanoes.

Etna also erupted in August 2023, causing localized travel disruption, leading to flight cancellations at the Catania airport in Sicily and dangerous conditions in the port city. The Italy volcano has also been active for years, with a notable eruption in 2018 when it killed one person and injured multiple others, as well as damaged surrounding homes and infrastructure. Scientists also estimate that the said volcano has been around for 350,000 to 500,000 years.

Mount Etna Eruption

The Mount Etna eruption occurred on Sunday, November 12, spewing molten rock and ash plume thousands of feet in the night sky. In a media release on Monday, November 13, Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) issued a volcanic activity statement for Etna, confirming that a lava fountain activity occurred from 17:00 UTC to 19:30 UTC and that the eruption produced an eruptive column 4,500 meters high above sea level.

INGV's Etna Observatory stated that the eruptive activity of the stratovolcano persisted with several lava flows in all directions, particularly in its southern angle. While volcanic activity has relatively weakened following Sunday's eruption, INGV personnel are conducting field surveys to determine the threat posed by the lava. Authorities have not issued any ground or air restrictions in the area, but the country's volcanologists are continuing to assess Mount Etna.

Volcanic Eruptions Record

Mount Etna is in the coastal city of Catania and on the east coast of the island of Sicily in Italy, towering at the height of 10,900 feet (3,320 meters). It is situated above the convergent plate between the African and Eurasian plates, according to the European Space Agency. The volcano's site is situated on almost 20,000 hectares of uninhabited land. Still, some previous volcanic eruptions had caused widespread disruption in the Italian region.

Some of the earliest records of volcanic eruptions at Mount Etna date back to 1500 BC. Since then, historians have recorded multiple eruptions on the active stratovolcano for centuries. Etna's strongest recorded eruption occurred in 1669 when it spewed 990 million cubic yards of lava but with no mentioned human fatalities.

The explosive emission of volcanic lava and ash from Mount Etna occurred following the increasing threat of a volcanic eruption in Iceland this month. This prompted Icelandic authorities to issue evacuation orders in Grindavik over fears that lava could swallow the town. Furthermore, sulfur dioxide levels were also detected from the Iceland volcano.