Have you ever seen a volcano erupt twice at once? Well, Etna teaches us that… it can happen! And while we were still admiring the lava flow from the August 14th fracture at the base of the Bocca Nuova crater, on August 20th the earth also split in the very core of the Southeast crater. This happened at the point known as “La Sella,” where the old and new Southeast craters joined years ago: a fracture suddenly began to collapse and degas.

It all happened “live” before the eyes and cameras of the INGV technicians and guides who were at 3,000 meters to conduct inspections. Imagine the excitement! And so, a second eruption began, right after the first. We’ll leave the specific description of the event to the relevant technicians.

The second eruption

Etnanews24.it website writes:

The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology has reported that, from volcanological observations conducted by INGV personnel on the high-altitude ground, a new effusive vent has opened at an altitude of approximately 3,100 meters at the base of the saddle between the Bocca Nuova crater and the southeast crater. This vent is producing weak spattering and a small lava flow heading south.

At the same time, the lava flow emitted from the effusive vent at 2,980 meters is still being fed on Etna. The INGV has announced the news. Through an inspection of the lava flow area and analysis of images acquired from the video surveillance network, its experts have determined that the effusive vent feeds a lava field that is caved in proximal areas, while distal, it bifurcates into three main branches advancing southwestward with overlapping flows.

The most advanced front is approximately 2,300 meters above the Grotta degli Archi. Strombolian activity continues at the southeast crater with variable intensity and the formation of sporadic emissions of volcanic ash that are rapidly dispersed into the atmosphere.

We’re in for more great action! (Photos by G Musumeci and Giuseppe Quaceci)