The eruption that had tour operators across the Ionian coast of Catania buzzing in early July appears to have ended, as unexpectedly as it began. The eruptive events involving the Voragine crater and its neighboring northeast area ended on the morning of July 7th after a night of exceptional fire show.

Six fountains

Those who witnessed the eruption at night saw the large number of lava fountains (at least six!) produced by the Voragine, or rather by the fracture that affected the base of the crater. Contrary to the usual “style” of the Voragine, these fountains were very small and quiet, but they flowed at a continuous and rapid pace. It really didn’t seem like they would end so quickly.

The Lavafall

During the night, the Voragine also produced a lava river that poured into the nearby Northeast crater. Thirty years earlier, a similar event had seen the Northeast crater, in turn, pour rivers of lava into the Voragine. To many, it seemed like a veritable “revenge” from Etna’s highest crater, effectively snatching that record from its “brother,” the Northeast!

Future scenarios

The end of the eruption was announced on July 8th by the INGV volcanology institute, which also released a detailed report on this latest phenomenon experienced by Etna (HERE). Future scenarios are unpredictable. The volcano could simply be on hiatus, or it could have entered a new phase of quiet. Summer is still long… we’ll see what surprises Etna has in store for us!

Summary of the Facts

Between late June and early July 2026, Etna unleashed one of its spectacular eruptive events, closely observed and monitored by experts at the Etna Observatory-INGV (OE). It was a complete eruption characterized by both lava flows, spectacular Strombolian explosions, and continuous ash emissions. (…) In the first few days, the lava effusion generated a simple lava field consisting of individual lava flows, the most advanced fronts of which reached between 2,750 and 2,700 m above sea level.

Concurrent with the effusive activity, the Voragine crater fueled discontinuous Strombolian activity from a vent on its upper eastern flank. This activity gradually intensified over the days, while the volcanic tremor—permanently located beneath the Voragine crater—showed a slow increase. Ground deformations monitored by the OE networks remained stable, with no significant variations. Beginning on Sunday, July 5, explosive activity became continuous and further intensified, then petering out between July 7 and 8. (Text by INGV – PHOTO G. MUSUMECI)