Things are getting complicated up there on the front of Etna’s new eruption—which began on the morning of August 6th and is still ongoing. Indeed, while the situation was already challenging, with paroxysms at the Voragine crater and the lava flow from there toward the Northeast crater, the opening of a lateral vent around 2,800 meters, and the subsequent lava flow toward the valley… today, August 8th, a new fracture opened at an altitude of 2,500 meters. All of this signals the extreme fragility of the north face of the Valle del Bove and the eastern side of the volcano in general. The alert is now high, and experts are closely monitoring the developments.
Yesterday’s INGV press release
Yesterday, the Catania Institute of Volcanology closed the day with this press release:
“The eruptive vent that opened at approximately 07:30 UTC in Valle del Leone at an altitude of approximately 2,750 m (today’s press release, 08:38 UTC) remains active, fueling lava flows whose fronts, around 13:00 UTC, passed Mount Simone in Valle del Bove, settling at approximately 2,000 m above sea level. Observations of the other lava flows described in today’s press release (08:38 UTC) suggest that they are cooling or weakly fed. The fountaining activity cited in today’s press release (08:38 UTC) caused ash fallout sampled in Adrano, Ragalna, Piano Vetore, and Nicolosi. In the last few hours, the explosive activity of the Voragine has intensified, producing a cloud eruptive that disperses towards the S. From the seismic point, the amplitude of the volcanic tremor has slightly decreased compared to the previous communication, but still remains at high values. The locations are always in correspondence with the Voragine crater at an altitude of 3000 meters above sea level”.
What are today’s updates?
The latest INGV press release is from a few minutes ago (as of this writing) and notes:
“At approximately 9:30 UTC, a new eruptive vent opened in Valle del Bove, at an altitude of 2,550 m, near the extinct crater of Monte Rittmann. INGV personnel are conducting field surveys, and the results will be communicated as soon as possible.
The GNSS and clinometric monitoring networks show no significant changes. The summit stations of the clinometric network continue to measure the trend change that began on August 6th and was already reported in previous press releases. From a seismic perspective, over the last 24 hours, the tremor has shown a gradual, slight decrease in amplitude, remaining in the high range. The tremor locations remain confined to the vicinity of the Voragine crater at an altitude of approximately 3,000 m above sea level. During the same period, infrasonic activity was medium both In terms of both the number and magnitude of the events; the locations correspond to the Voragine crater.
The OE field personnel shortly thereafter also reported a pyroclastic flow between Mount Simone and Mount Rittmann“.
The current situation in brief
Simply put, the current situation involves a summit eruption linked to the Voragine crater, which continues to emit ash columns (Catania Airport remains closed indefinitely) and very loud booms, and two lava emissions from two distinct anomalous vents that opened on the eastern flank between yesterday and today. Added to this is the danger of pyroclastic flows, as the area through which the lava fronts are moving is still full of “ice pockets” kept cold by the volcanic ash covering. When they encounter lava, these cause extremely dangerous explosions and flows. Etna is an active and living volcano, and it must always be approached with caution, experience, and wisdom.
Complex situation for tourism … and not only that
The alert remains high on Etna because, as mentioned, this situation is complex. Not only for those working on the volcano, who must continuously monitor to try to predict and prevent damage (remember, with volcanoes and earthquakes, prediction is almost impossible), but also for the tourism sector—which thrives on eruptions.
Tour operators often go first to the lava flow to study the routes and assess the danger firsthand. Given the risk of new fractures opening up, and especially pyroclastic flows, even conducting certain inspections becomes risky. This is why, even more so, tourists must LISTEN, ACCEPT, AND EVALUATE what they are told, without making rash decisions on their own. Listen to the constant information from the INGV and the advice of guides, accept even the cancellation of a tour or changes to plans and itineraries, and evaluate whether it is really worthwhile to ascend to higher altitudes. Sometimes the best photos are taken from afar, from the safe observation points located along the access routes.
Tourists must also accept the inconveniences associated with Catania airport. The beauty of a city at the foot of a volcano also comes with its downsides: complaining, cursing, or insulting is pointless. Here, nature rules, and the hit-and-run rules of “overtourism” have no power. Life depends on it. (PHOTOS BY G. MUSUMECI – VIDEO STAFF GO ETNA)