The Catania volcano observatory (INGV) says that explosive activity at the volcano’s South East summit crater resumed last night.
Minor ash emissions have been rising from the crater, but volcanic tremor began to climb to ordinary levels at 01:30 italy local time today.
Around 13:30 local time, the activity became more intense, accompanied by a rapidly rising signal of volcanic tremor at 2800 m height, indicating rapid magma flux towards the surface.
A new lava flow began overflowing the SE crater rim at 14:32 local time and is now appearing on the west-southwest slopes.
Starting around 16:00 local time, strombolian activity flared up and became stronger near the SE summit crater, followed by bouts of high amplitude tremor. The lava has continued to seep out, keeping the flow active and reaching an elevation of around 2900 meters.
A new lava-fountaining episode (classified as paroxysm) began at about 20:40 local time in the SE summit crater, producing a tall and thick ash and gas-rich cloud that climbed to an estimated 10 km altitude and drifted west.
A sharp rise in tremor preceded the intense paroxysm episode.
The paroxysm activity culminated in three pumice-and-ash flows flowing in the Valle del Bove direction around 20:40, 21:19, and 21:26 local time (rare, but typical).
Pumice-and-ash flows are caused by column (or fountain) collapse.
Volcanic tremor began to drop to medium levels after the greatest amplitude of a seismic signal at 21:00 local time.
Although the fountaining activity has ceased, the eruption column continues to disperse to a height of 8000 meters to the west.
At 2700 meters, the lava flow is still active, although the front appears to have calmed.
#Etna is not exactly famous for producing pyroclastic flows, though they are pretty common during her violent paroxysmal episodes. Here is a nice little one during the powerful paroxysm on the evening of 10 February 2022. pic.twitter.com/p1b5HxuKr0
— Boris Behncke (@etnaboris) February 10, 2022
Activity at #Etna's Southeast Crater has been increasing during the evening of 10 February 2022, and is now in a full paroxysmal phase, with lava fountains 500-600 m tall, lava flows to southwest and southeast, and an eruption column several kilometers high. pic.twitter.com/0dFHPYZAC5
— Boris Behncke (@etnaboris) February 10, 2022
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