08/10/2021 2:48 PM
Clarín.com
Society
Updated 08/10/2021 2:48 PM
The important internal and external activity that Etna continues to develop caused the volcano to grow during 2021.
Thus he set a new height record: he
now measures 3,357 meters
, as announced by the Italian Institute of Volcanology (INGV).
Information on the growth of the imposing European volcano was released by Italian specialists after a large eruption that took place this Monday morning with
abundant but controlled emissions of lava and ash
.
Thanks to the analysis of the satellite images, the INGV scientists were able to conclude that the southeast crater now surpassed its "big brother" in the northeast, which had been the summit of the famous volcano for 40 years.
It is
the largest in Europe
, whose majestic silhouette dominates the east of the island of Sicily and especially the city of Catania.
The Etna volcano came into action again this Monday and set a new height record: 3,357 meters.
Photo: Reuters.
.
"The activity recorded during this year produced the accumulation of significant amounts of pyroclastic materials and layers of lava in the cone of the southeastern crater,
the newest and most active of the four craters
on the summit of Etna. This caused a considerable transformation of the silhouette from the volcano, "explained the Institute through a statement.
The new record revealed by the researchers of 3,357 meters - it has a margin of error of more or less three meters - was achieved from the images that the
Pleiades
satellite
took in July, which facilitated the updating of the digital model of Etna .
Beyond the scientific aspect, the daily life of the inhabitants of the Italian area that surrounds Etna is affected by its frenetic activity in recent months.
Etna's plume of smoke reached seven kilometers high on April 1: Photo: Reuters.
"Since February, we have already registered
55 events
of the volcano," said Tania Cannizzaro, a retiree who lives in Catania, in statements to the AFP Agency.
"According to the wind, the roars of the volcano reach Catania and make the windows tremble. The ashes carried by the wind fall on the streets and balconies all the time and everything turns black," the old woman added.
The previous great eruption
Except for this Monday, the last major eruption of Etna took place on April 1.
There, the volcanic activity
generated a column of ash seven kilometers high
that forced the authorities to temporarily close the airspace in the area.
It was one of the strongest eruptions of the year.
Because in addition to forming the ash column, it expelled a tongue of lava that expanded into the Bove valley, located in southern Sicily.
Since 1980, the maximum summit of the volcano was in the northeast crater, which had reached a maximum height of 3,350 meters after eruptive activities between September 1980 and February 1981.
The northeast sector of Etna then lost a few meters due to landslides at the crater rims, dropping to 3,326 meters during 2018. But during 2021 it had a significant rebound in the southern sector and a new historical record was established.
Etna is the highest active volcano in all of Europe, with frequent eruptions for about 500,000 years.
With information from AFP
DD
