Mt. Etna Major Eruption Now!

After 3 years and 89 pages filled with up to the minute coverage & photos you’ll see only on ATS - Mt. Etna erupts in her first ‘real event’ of 2013.

This years first eruption hails this fresh new thread - coverage Etna so richly deserves as ‘our’ volcano is one of if - if not the - most active volcano in the world.

Mt. Etna - the isle of Sicily’s crowning glory - is the highest volcano in Europe rising over 3000 meters above the Mediterranean Sea nestled blissfully between the ‘toe’ of Italy’s ’boot’ and the northern most part of Africa.

Mt. Etna has woven her way throughout history steeped in mystery, tragedy, prophesy, lore and of course watches down over tourists from all over the world who come ‘home’ to visit her time and time again.

Her eruptions have been documented since before 1500 BC

peace

Mt.Etna 2010 - 2013







March 6, 2013 update starting here
www.abovetopsecret.com...







17 Nov 2013 update

*Tutto ciò che la natura ha di grande,
tutto ciò che ha di piacevole,
tutto ciò che ha di terribile,
si può paragonare all'Etna,
e l'Etna non si può paragonare a nulla

Everything in nature is grand/big,
everything is nice,
everything is terrible
you can compare it to Etna,
Etna - you can't compare her to anything

peace

*still looking for author

February 19/20 Etna's First Major Event 2013

Etna's most powerful recorded eruption was in 1669, when explosions destroyed part of the summit and lava flows from a fissure on the volcano's flank reached the sea and the town of Catania, more than ten miles away.

An eruption in 1775 produced large lahars when hot material melted snow and ice on the summit, and an extremely violent eruption in 1852 produced more than 2 billion cubic feet of lava and covered more than three square miles of the volcano's flanks in lava flows. Etna's longest eruption began in 1979 and went on for thirteen years; its latest eruption began in March 2007, and is still ongoing.

link

What had started last night evolved into the first true paroxysmal eruption of 2013, marked by tall lava fountains and lava flows from the New SE crater.

link

Early this morning 02:15


Unless otherwise stated all original photos taken from this aproximate location:



Here are some links added to the last thread by ATS Members - I believe they're still applicable to this one!

Great ‘Quick Facts’ by ATS member heineken

JackieO’s Volcano Watch Site

TheOneYouFearIsRight Gas Smell explanation

UPCLOSE web cam

angelchemuel link to photos The Black Beast

Olivine Added site for INGV webcam!

angelchemuel Adds some wonderful links!

ujustneverknow Adds info link

MoorfNZ

Silcone Synapse Moon Photos over...


A big Etna sized THANK YOU to all the above

peace

I've always enjoyed watching volcanos erupt.

Has this recent eruption caused any damage or caused any injuries or is it just letting off a little steam?

reply to post by silo13


S&F!

Thanks for the new thread, updates and pics!

Do stay safe!!! Waiting for your next post is as bad as watching 127 Hours, I am on the edge of my seat!

Mt Etna erupting is spectacular. Also very scary. Seems like the Volcaneos in the Med always have a massive potential for enormous destruction and loss of human life. Hopefully, Etna just wants to remind us what it's capable of, and that we really need to pay attention to these forces of nature.

These are from early this morning:





Right now - 13:08 local time - Etna is Erupting HUGE.

But I can see it.

The ground is shaking - there is a LOT of noise - but whatever she's doing? It's behind clouds.

I'm going to go back and get the urls for the webcams - maybe they will show something?

peace

reply to post by Hopechest

To answer your question - THIS is the damage:



Not only does it make a HUGE mess but it gets into everything. Especially the vegetables ready to harvest and believe me - we depend on these veggies! Now, they’re (mostly) ruined.

It also ruins cars and makes driving very hazardous.

I don’t know of any other damage at the moment though.

Then again if she gets any louder she’s going to be busting some eardrums!

peace

reply to post by silo13

Silo I always worry for you and your animals during these eruptions.

Stay safe friend and I hope the clean up isn't too bad!

reply to post by wiser3

Waiting for your next post is as bad as watching 127 Hours, I am on the edge of my seat!

Well come over here and hold my hand, lol.
I don't get nervous with her - well almost never - but that's when I can SEE what she's doing!
All this business she's up to - and so loud - without getting a visual?
I'm on pins and needles too!

peace

reply to post by OneisOne

Animals always come first - and they're all covered and ok at the moment - extra water drawn and preperation taken.

My dog Luci is NOT liking what's going on now though - maybe it makes her nervouse when she can't see what's up too!

Between now and when the clouds break?

Shameless tribute:



The above is written on my deck in the black 'rain-ahhh' (phonetic) that falls from Etna. The rock and ash.

peace

reply to post by silo13


I bet Luci is not liking it. Heck I don't like it and I'm 1,000s of miles away.

I remember last year you posted she sent out a howl before an eruption, dogs are amazing creatures.

Love the shameless plug!!! And I love the fact you can keep that kind a temperament during times like these, I'm not sure who's tougher... Mt Etna or you!

Wow! This is very exciting, and very weird! Just yesterday me and my friend were discussing the possibility of it erupting big in the close future.

I envy you right now, getting to see and hear the eruption. But I don't envy the clean up. People must make lots of money after the eruption, going house to house offering their clean-up services (like kids after a big snowstorm in the northern climates). How is the breathing, do you have to wear a mask, or stay indoors? Does any of the dust or actual heavy rocks, like you showed, endanger you and your neighbors? This is the first time I've ever "talked" to anyone in an eruption zone. Give the peak a wave for me!

reply to post by silo13


Excellent pics and video Silo.
Never a dull moment where you live!

Have you thought about trying to do a timelapse of the volcano?
I am just starting to try to learn how to make timelapse videos,and something as spectacular as Etna errupting,maybe with stars moving overhead would make an awesome timelapse I think.

All you would need to get started is a thing called an intervalometer for your particular camera-that allows you to take a photo every second or minute or hour or anything inbetween,which you can then string together in an editing program.
Some high end cameras can do that without an intervalometer,but not all.

If you made a decent timelapse of Etna during a big erruption,you may even be able to sell the footage to a TV news company.

reply to post by Silcone Synapse

Good to see you here!

I'll message you a little later when she calms down to ask a few questions!

For now:

Here's a link to a Etna Web Cam - you can see what I'm trying to see through and having no luck at!

She's still at it too!

peace

Star for you Silo of course.

Be carefull although and avoid playing too much with volcanic ash as it's tiny nasty stuff. And protect your skin when going out there.

Nidwin

reply to post by Aleister

How is the breathing, do you have to wear a mask, or stay indoors? Does any of the dust or actual heavy rocks, like you showed, endanger you and your neighbors? This is the first time I've ever "talked" to anyone in an eruption zone. Give the peak a wave for me!

The ash can make it difficult to breath - but I've never experienced it that 'bad' - though I know people who have.

The major damage - (see the pic) - is the ash/rocks that fall and ruin fruit and vegetables.

The people who've been injured (in my knowledge base) has been from hearth attacks from fear, slipping on the ash and falling or in a car accident due to the rocky ash (very slippery), eye injuries and a lot of sore fists from pounding the door sill watching the veggies get covered.

I'll get some pics when she settles down. I'll also give her that wave for you when I can see her again!

peace

reply to post by silo13


Thanks for the webcam link. And those are beautiful hills around you, you must get lots of exercise walking the sides of the hills and the trails. After an eruption is much of the foliage on the hills greatly harmed? Trees?

EDIT:Just saw your post, thanks for the wave. And pounding the door watching the veggies get covered being a source of injury (smilesoutloud). A couple of more questions if I may (and thanks for your coverage). Is the falling ash constant, or does it lull (with the wind direction, the extent of the current plume) and then pick up again when an "event" occurs. And does the town have a warning siren that goes off if there is a huge blast? Thanks again.

It's always nice to hear about things unraveling from people who live near them. It gives us a personal perspective instead of the perspective of attention seeking media. The Media only picks the real bad events and little is known of the information preceding the event. People around a constantly active volcano are used to the small eruptions and can sense things that a scientist or instruments can't. The normal rumbles become part of their lives and the odd ones can be sensed.

S&F for keeping us in the loop of what it is like. I hope you stay safe. Mother nature sometimes has to leave off a little steam just as everyone does.