Italy: Mt. Etna becomes all-time tallest active volcano due to regular eruptions since Feb

Italy's volcano monitoring agency reported that Mount Etna's south-eastern crater has grown in height after six months of activity, making it Europe's tallest active volcano; taller than ever. At 3,357 metres (11,000 feet), Etna's youngest and most active crater has set a record, according to the National Institute for Geophysics and Vulcanology (INGV) in Catania, Sicily.

According to a press release issued by INGV, “Thanks to the analysis and processing of satellite images, the south-east crater is now much higher than its ‘older brother’, the north-east crater, for 40 years the undisputed peak of Etna."

This has resulted in "a conspicuous transformation of the volcano's outline" after more than 50 episodes of ash and lava spewing from the crater mouth since mid-February. Its height peaked in 1981 at 3,350 metres but collapses at its edges lowered it to 3,326 metres by 2018. Since February, the crater has been spewing smoke and ash but has posed little danger to the nearby villages.

Locals face inconvenience due to ash

In July, the government of Sicily estimated that 300,000 tonnes of ash had been removed. Local residents have complained about the inconvenience of dealing with ash on their streets, which has clogged up roadways, slowed traffic and damaged crops. Retiree Tania Cannizzaro, who lives in Catania, about a two-hour drive from Mount Etna, expressed that "it's beautiful and annoying at the same time."

Based on the weather, rumblings from the volcano reach Catania through the windows and cause them to shake. In addition, the blackened streets and balconies were a result of the ashes. However, one can also see the red plume moving in the evening, especially in the evening.

Image: UNSPLASH