Mount Etna is once again producing spectacular eruptions of lava which are making the news.
However, this isn't too unusual, as the volcano has been almost continuously erupting for
several thousand years.
This video will discuss this active volcano in Italy, and mention what its future hazards
are.
Mount Etna began forming 500,000 years ago, when a submarine volcano in the Mediterranean
sea started to erupt.
These underwater eruptions created rounded blocks of basalt lava which are termed pillow
basalts.
Some of these pillow basalt rocks can today be seen at Castello di Aci.
After many thousands of years of eruptions, Mount Etna finally reached the surface of
the Mediterranean Sea.
The eruptions during this period continued to be largely basaltic in nature, and helped
build a large shield volcano.
Around 35,000 years ago, the composition of the lava began to change.
As a result, eruptions became more explosive in nature and resembled the eruptions which
we see today.
A notable eruption 8000 years ago caused a portion of the eastern side of Mount Etna
to collapse slide into the ocean.
This occurred in a similar way to the 1980 eruption of Mount Saint Helens.
The tsunami generated by the partial collapse of Mount Etna impacted a majority of the Mediterranean
Sea.
The next major eruption from this volcano occurred in 1500 BC, when a large eruption
produced at least a cubic kilometer of lava and ash.
A similarly large event occurred in 122 BC, when Roman records indicated that a large
eruption blocked the sun for several days and caused widespread damage to the town of
Catania on the coast.
Between these large eruptions there likely were dozens of other smaller eruptions that
didn't get recorded, as they weren't considered significant events.
This is a reasonable assumption given the near continuous volcanic activity which has
been witnessed at the mountain during the past several hundred years.
Another notable eruption occurred in 1669, when a vent formed 14 kilometers to the south
of the main summit.
This eruption destroyed a number of nearby towns but was also the first time people tried
to divert a lava flow.
Initially, the townspeople were able to divert the lava flow after creating a hole in one
of the lava tubes.
However, this diverted lava towards a different town.
The residents of this town (Paterno) then chased the workers away and the lava continued
back on its original path.
The largest eruption from Mount Etna in the last two thousand years took place in 1787,
when a subplinian eruption occurred.
This eruption produced a spectacular lava fountain which was reported to reach 3 kilometers
into the air.
This report was long believed to be exaggerated until an eruption in 2013 produced a 1500
meter high lava fountain.
Here is some footage from that eruption.
For the last several hundred years, Mount Etna has had near continuous eruptions.
The most recent eruption from this volcano began on September 3rd of 2013, and still
continues as of late January 2021.
Occasionally, large explosions close to the summit crater will make the news as they violently
eject pieces of magma into the air.
According to the scientists monitoring Mount Etna, 1 to 3 of these explosions occur each
day.
So, what are the hazards posed by Mount Etna and how dangerous is this volcano?
This may come as a surprise to some people, but Mount Etna isn't truly a dangerous volcano.
After all, more than 1 million people visit this volcano each year, and they come back
happy from the experience!
Just like the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, the vast majority of this volcano's destructive
potential comes from its slow moving lava flows which on occasion have traveled dozens
of kilometers from their source.
These lava flows are unlikely to harm citizens directly, but on numerous occasions have destroyed
large amounts of property in their path.
Although Etna does occasionally produce pyroclastic flows, these are rare and typically travel
less than 2 kilometers from its summit.
With this being said, if you were to visit this volcano, use common sense.
Do not get anywhere close to lava flows, especially if they are near water or ice, and stay on
marked trails.
I hope that you enjoyed this video!
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