Mount Etna

News: Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy erupted recently creating a spectacular display while sending a massive cloud of smoke and ash several kilometers into the sky.

About Mount Etna

• Mount Etna is a volcano located in Sicily, Italy. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
• Mount Etna is located on an active fault line where the African plate and the Ionian microplate are both being subducted beneath the Eurasian plate.
• Mount Etna stands about 3,300 metres tall.
• Etna is a stratovolcano – a cone-shaped volcano made from thick, sticky lava. This lava does not flow easily, so it builds up around the vent and forms steep slopes.
• The most prominent feature of the mountain is the Valle del Bove (Valley of the Ox), a vast horseshoe-shaped caldera located on its eastern slope.
• It erupts in two main styles: Effusive eruption – where lava flows smoothly out onto the ground and strombolian eruption – which is more explosive with bursts of gas and lava.
• Etna has been erupting for at least 2,700 years, with the oldest known eruption dating back to around 1400 B.C.
• This gives it one of the longest recorded histories of volcanic activity in the world.
• It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its long history and scientific value.
• It has also been designated a Decade Volcano by the United Nations.