Italy’s Mount Etna volcano violently erupted on Monday, sending plumes of toxic ash and smoke billowing into the sky as people on the mountain ran for safety to escape the danger.
According to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), activity at Mount Etna on Sicily began during the pre-dawn hours on Monday and culminated with "intense and almost continuous" strombolian explosions hours later.
Mount Etna sits atop the convergent plate margin where the African Plate meets the Eurasian Plate. This towering peak stands as one of Europe's tallest active volcanoes and the highest point in Italy south of the Alps, currently exceeding 11,000 feet in height.
Mount Etna is also believed to have the longest documented history of eruptions among all volcanoes, with records dating back to as early as 425 B.C.
Poster Comment:
I expect a series of volcanoes to create a 'year without summer just like in 1816 or 1709 when the top 40 inches of the soil in France was frozen.