FILE VIDEO: Video shot on Tuesday shows activity from Italy’s Mount Etna, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. (Courtesy: Reuters)
MOUNT ETNA, Italy – For the fifth time this summer, Italy’s Mount Etna volcano has begun erupting, spewing ash above Sicily and temporarily halting flights.
Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) said Mount Etna began erupting on Sunday. Video from INGV’s surveillance showed a lava fountain producing a massive ash cloud starting around 3 a.m. local time.
Lava spews from a crater of the Mount Etna volcano early on August 4, 2024 in Sicily. (Photo by Giuseppe Distefano / Etna Walk / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE DISTEFANO/Etna Walk/AFP via Getty Images)
A column of ash could be seen rising from the volcano more than 32,000 feet above the neighboring towns.
The INGV said there are ongoing lava flows from the Bocca Nuova and Voragine craters.
Flights at Sicily’s Catania International Airport were temporarily suspended from part of the airport Sunday after the ash release stopped. However, officials warn of more possible delays because of the ongoing eruption.
WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE A VOLCANO ERUPTS?
Mount Etna has experienced eruptive activity throughout July, including just over a week ago with several other eruptive events since early July. Sunday’s eruption marks the fifth resulting from strombolic activity since late June.
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An aerial view at dawn of Mount Etna’s spectacular eruption seen from the city of Catania on August 04, 2024 in Catania, Italy. Mount Etna’s latest eruption spewed kilometre-high fountains of lava from the Voragine crater as the wind blew east-northeast spreading ash emissions on the villages on the north-eastern slope. (Photo by Fabrizio Villa/Getty Images) ( )
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Lava spews from a crater of the Mount Etna volcano early on August 4, 2024 in Sicily. (Photo by Giuseppe Distefano / Etna Walk / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE DISTEFANO/Etna Walk/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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A view of the smoke rising from Etna volcano after strombolic activity resulted in the fifth major eruption since volcanic activity resumed in late June on August 04, 2024 in Catania, Italy. (Photo by Salvatore Allegra/Anadolu via Getty Images) ( )
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A view of the smoke rising from Etna volcano after strombolic activity resulted in the fifth major eruption since volcanic activity resumed in late June on August 04, 2024 in Catania, Italy. At dawn on July 04, from the Voragine crater, a massive fountain of lava produced a column of ash and lapilli more than 10 kilometers high that rose above the volcano and was carried by the wind in an east-southeast direction, reaching mainly the town of Zafferana Etnea and neighboring towns. Due to the large amount of ash dispersed into the atmosphere, a sector of Catania International Airport was closed, necessitating a reduction in incoming air traffic. (Photo by Salvatore Allegra/Anadolu via Getty Images) ( )
Mount Etna, one of the most active volcanoes worldwide, sits atop the convergent plate margin where the African Plate meets the Eurasian Plate. This towering peak is one of Europe’s tallest active volcanoes and the highest point in Italy south of the Alps, currently exceeding 11,000 feet in height.
Mount Etna is believed to have the longest documented history of eruptions among all volcanoes, with records dating back to as early as 425 B.C.