Erik Klemetti on July 31, 2011, 9:47 PM

A brief summary:

Etna has experienced a number of eruptive episodes over the last 2 weeks – paroxysms as they are called by Dr. Boris Behncke. Some were quite small, while others have been downright amazing, with towering (upwards of 350-m tall) fire fountains from the Southeast Crater of the volcano. Others have produced lava flows on the volcano and ash fall as well. This activity brings the grand total of episodes that Etna has experienced this year to 8, making 2011 quite an active year for the Sicilian volcano.

The latest eruptive episode started on July 30. You can check out some video from the eruption (courtesy of Dr. Behncke) that shows just how impressive this latest activity is – producing fire fountains upwards of 500 meters (half a kilometers) and a large lava flow that is flowing down the flanks of the volcano (see above). The sound from the eruption is like a jet engine, proving just how much force is behind the lava as it erupts from the vent.

to read more, go to: http://bigthink.com/ideas/39538