Mount Etna, the highest Mediterranean island mountain and the most active stratovolcano globally, located in Sicily, Italy, has recently been in headlines due to its latest eruption, spewing ash and lava from two fractures that have opened at the base of its crater. This 3,326 metres high peak, the highest in Italy, south of the Alps, follows unique eruption patterns, which contribute significantly to various geological and Earth science disciplines.
The Varied Eruptive Patterns of Mount Etna
Unlike other volcanoes, eruptions of Mount Etna follow a variety of patterns that can be traced back 500,000 years. Most of these eruptions occur at the summit where there are currently five distinct craters as of 2019. Other eruptions take place on the flanks, which house over 300 vents of varying sizes, ranging from small holes in the ground to massive craters hundreds of metres across.
Etna’s Impact on Volcanology and Earth Science Disciplines
The nearly continuous eruptive activity of Mount Etna doesn’t only make it an intriguing point of interest; it also continues to influence several scientific disciplines such as volcanology, geophysics, and other Earth science domains. Its unique activity profile serves as a natural laboratory for studying ecological and biological processes while also supporting significant terrestrial ecosystems, including endemic flora and fauna.
Understanding Volcanoes
A volcano is an opening on a planet or moon’s surface that allows warmer material to escape from its interior. The escape of this material leads to what we describe as an ‘eruption,’ which can either be explosive, sending material high into the sky, or calm, with gentle flows of the erupted material. On Earth, the erupted material can be liquid rock (termed as ‘lava’ when on the surface and ‘magma’ when underground), ash, cinders, and/or gas.
| Fact | Description |
|---|---|
| Location | Sicily, Italy |
| Height | 3,326 metres |
| Type of volcano | Stratovolcano |
| Activity | Highly active |
Magma Rising and Volcanic Eruptions
There are three primary reasons why magma might rise to the surface and cause eruptions. These include the slow movement of tectonic plates away from each other which creates a gap filled by the rising magma; and the movement of these same plates towards each other, causing part of the Earth’s crust to be forced deep into its interior where it melts due to high heat and pressure, and rises as magma. Lastly, magma also rises above hot spots – areas within the Earth that heat up magma, making it less dense, thus prompting it to rise.