Mount Etna: History and Interesting Facts

Elevation: 10,900 feet (3,320 meters)
Volcano Type: Stratovolcano
Last Eruption: 2014, ongoing

The volcanoes that keep erupting frequently are called active volcanoes. 

Mount Etna, among them, is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and the largest active volcano in the European Continent. The name Etna is derived from the Greek word Aitne, which comes from Aitho, and it means "I burn." According to Greek mythology, Zeus (the king of gods and also the god of the sky) trapped Typhon under this mountain.

It was also said that the forges of Hephaestus are located beneath this mountain. With this brief introduction, we present some interesting facts about this rumbling and intriguing volcano.

▲ The circumference of Mount Etna's base is around 150 km (93 miles).

▲ It is known as the Mongibello or Montebello among the locals, which means a "beautiful mountain."

▲ It is the highest mountain in Italy towards the South of Alps.

▲ Italy has three active volcanoes – Mount Etna, Stromboli, and Mount Vesuvius. Among these, Mount Etna is the largest. It is 2.5 times larger than Mount Vesuvius, the next in rank. It spans an area of 460 square miles or 1,190 square kilometers.

▲ 25% of the population of Sicily lives on its slopes. A large number of animal species are found on the sides of this volcano.

▲ It has been included as a decade volcano by the United Nations. It has also been included in the list of World Heritage Sites by the United Nations in June 2013.

▲ Smoke has been emitted from this volcano in the form of rings. The first such happening was recorded in the year 1970. It repeated again on June 8, 2000 and April 11, 2013.

▲ On the eastern side of Mount Etna, there is a horseshoe-shaped depression, which has a diameter of 5 km and a depth of 1,000 m. It is known as Valle del Bove. Valle del Bove literally translates as the 'Valley of the Ox'. It is the largest feature of this mountain.

Mount Etna is located at the intersection of the boundaries of two continental plates, the Eurasian plate and the African plate. It is formed because of the subduction of the African plate with the Eurasian plate. Subduction is a geological process in which one edge of a crustal plate is forced sideways and downward into the mantle below another plate. 

As a result, the magma, which is molten rock beneath the Earth's crust, is propelled to the surface. A volcanic eruption occurs because of this.

▲ The eruptions on the volcano follow two broad patterns: summit eruptions and flank eruptions. Summit eruptions occur at the craters. There are five craters on Mount Etna: the Northeast crater, the Voragine, the Bocca Nuova, and two on the Southeast Crater Complex. 

Summit eruptions do not cause damage to people living in the surrounding areas as they occur at high altitudes. Eruptions also occur on the sides of the volcano, known as the flank eruptions. There are close to 300 vents on the flanks; some are small holes and some are large craters. 

The flank eruptions can occur at an altitude of a few hundred meters, posing a threat to the local inhabitants.

▲ In 425 BCE, Diodorus Siculus, a Greek historian, first wrote about the eruption of Mount Etna. We also find its eruption being mentioned in the Aenid, a famous work of the poet Virgil.

▲ In 1669, there occurred one of its most destructive eruptions. Molten lava flowed towards Catania. The people of Catania tried to deviate the flow of the lava, but they were opposed by the people of Paterno as this diversion posed a threat to their land. This episode caused a massive destruction of life and property in the surrounding area.

▲ In the eruption of 1775, the volcanic mud and water emitted by the volcano melted the snow and ice on it.

▲ Another devastating eruption occurred in 1852. More than 2 billion cubic feet of lava was emitted by the volcano, which encompassed 3 square miles around the sides of the volcano.

▲ An eruption that took place in 1928 harmed the people living nearby. The village of Mascali got annihilated because of this eruption. There were major eruptions in the years 1949, 1971,1981, 1983, and 1991-1993. During the 1991-1993 eruption, the town of Zafferana was affected, but the lava was successfully diverted and only one building was lost.

▲ A flank eruption occurred in July-August 2001. Subsequently, there were eruptions in 2002-2003. Lucasfilm, an American film and television production company, recorded a footage of the 2002-2003 eruptions. This footage was shown as the planet Mustafar in the 2005 film Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

▲ There was a summit eruption on September 4, 2007. A flank eruption took place between May 13, 2008 to July 6, 2009; it was the longest flank eruption since 1991-1993.

▲ The summit craters were rumbling with intense activity between the period of January 2011 to February 2012. On account of the ash clouds formed because of the eruptions, the Catania airport remained closed at times. This year, Mount Etna is experiencing a flank eruption since 5th of July, and is attracting many tourists.

The lava emitted by the volcano is rich in minerals and makes the soil of the nearby areas very fertile. The farmers of the neighboring areas grow vineyards and orchards here. The eruptions are a threat to the lives of the local inhabitants; they also harm property and roads. Around 77 human deaths have been confirmed because of the volcanic activity. 

Two tourists died in 1987 because of an abrupt explosion at the summit. The volcano erupts ashes in the sky, thereby altering the quality of air. Power supply is also discontinued at times.

With such an explosive history, this active volcano proves to be a great destination for adventure tours.