Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano, in Italy, was erupting on Sunday morning. Residents throughout the nearby towns of Adrano and Biancavilla heard multiple booms as Etna began erupting. Ash covered Catania, eastern Sicily’s largest city. Cars in the city were covered in a layer of dark gritty dust. The airport suspended flights. No injuries were reported. The volcano’s seismic warning level was raised last week. “Low to medium eruptive activity” was estimated. The 3,330 meter (10,925 ft) high volcano can burst into spectacular action several times a year but the last major eruption was in 1992.
In early 2021, an eruption of the volcano lasted several weeks. Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, or INGV, closely monitors Etna with instruments. A tremor activity increased in recent days. Etna covers an area of 1,190 km2 (459 sq mi) with a basal circumference of 140 km (87 miles). Volcanic activity first took place at Etna about 500,000 years ago. Thousands of years ago, the eastern flank of the mountain experienced a catastrophic collapse. Etna remains one the best-studied volcanoes in the world. It is one of Sicily’s main tourist attractions, with thousands of visitors every year. The panoramic views that Mt Etna offers are breathtaking. A railway around the volcano, 110-km long semi-circle, was constructed between 1889 and 1895. There are two ski resorts on Etna. Legends have developed linked to the Mount Etna.
