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Archived Volcano News - John Seach
July 2002
News reports posted in Eastern Australian Time (UT + 10 hr)
Reports written by John Seach
Kilauea Volcano (Hawaii)
19.425 N, 155.292 W, summit elevation 1222 m, Shield volcano
Wednesday 31st July 2002
Lava is entering the sea at two locations as of 30th July. Another arm of the Mother's Day lava flow (the Highcastle arm) is zeroing in on the remnant of the Chain of Craters Road in the Highcastle kipuka. At 0647hr, the front of the flow was in the grassy kipuka, about 150 m from the pavement. Small fires and methane explosions are taking place. The short stretch of roadway in the Highcastle kipuka, long cut off from the rest of the Chain of Craters Road, has been a landmark for years. It now appears in grave danger of being covered by lava.
Lava entering the ocean entry at the West Highcastle entry, about 500 m southwest of the Highcastle kipuka, is confined to one place. Lava is dripping into the water from a height of some 5-7 m.
The Wilipe`a entry is again mainly active on the west side of the new bench, the very spot the visitors can access most easily. Quite a crowd was on hand this morning before dawn to witness the numerous entry points, breakouts on the bench, and the play of rose to orange glow in the steam plume.
More on Kilauea volcano...
Oldest Volcanoes Discovered
Tuesday 30th July 2002
Geologists in Brazil claim they have found the oldest volcanoes in the world.
The pair are in the Amazon and date back 1.9 billion years.
Professor Caetano Juliani of Sao Paulo University says the oldest previously known volcano was just 500 million years old. He told Estado de SP newspaper: "Usually old volcanoes are destroyed very fast, in a few million years." The volcanoes were found near the Tapajos and Jamanxin rivers. The larger of the two is 700 feet high and just over a mile in diameter at the base. The scientists expect the rocks to give up valuable information about the region's formation.
More on Brazil...
Congo Eruption Threatens Animals
Tuesday 30th July 2002
A large plume of ash over Mount Nyimuragira, which erupted on Thursday, poses no immediate danger to man, but may hurt animals west of the volcano, Dario Tedesco, the resident volcanologist of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said on Sunday.
Reporting on the activity of Nyimuragira and the nearby Mount Nyiragongo, he said Nyiamuragira’s eruptions were continuing to produce "huge quantities" of ash, which was being blown in a westerly direction. These ashes contained "extremely sharp" glassy needles and other particles, often eaten by cows and other animals, he said, and were responsible for stomach haemorrhage leading to death.
He also warned that harvests might be in endangered in "all regions" in the path of ash clouds, and by local acid rain. However, he said there were no reports of danger to the quality of water in the area. But villagers living downwind of the direction of the plumb could suffer eye irritations due to halogens and sulphur, and particularly fluorine. Others might suffer breathing problems associated with the heavy ash emissions.
Scientists said there were gas discharges and "large amounts" of magma close to the nearby Mount Nyiragongo, which last erupted on 17 January, causing extensive damage to the lakeside town of Goma. That eruption caused thousands of people to flee, some to neighbouring Rwanda.
More on Nyimuragira volcano...
Karangetang Volcano (Siau Island, Indonesia)
2.47 N, 125.29 E, summit elevation 1784 m, stratovolcano
Monday 29th July 2002
Volcanic Ash Advisory from Darwin reports that Karangetang volcano has erupted. Report via from a Qantas airline at 0423 hr on 29th July. Karangetang is one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes, with more than 40 eruptions recorded since 1675.
More on Karangetang volcano...
Two Volcanoes Erupt in Congo
Sunday 28th July 2002
Volcanic eruptions and other activity continued Saturday on mounts Nyamuragira and Nyiragongo, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, but still posed no immediate danger to the nearby city of Goma.
An aerial survey over the volcanoes showed lava formation within Nyamuragira was flowing north and south but that there were no more eruptions within its crater. However, there are eruptions within Nyiragongo, but they pose no danger.
Lava from Thursday’s eruption of Nyamuragira is expected to cause considerable damage to the Virunga National Park, nearby, which is devoid of a human population. A team of volcanologists from the 11-member observatory - a branch of the Department of Geophysics/Lwiro, Bukavu - is due fly to Nyiragongo on Sunday to monitor the mountain that last erupted on 17 January, spewing lava over Goma and forcing thousands of people to flee.
"Nyamuragira is spectacular. Everyone should see something like this once in their life," said Dario Tedesco, a volcano consultant to the United Nations, after flying over both peaks in a helicopter.
More on Nyamuragira volcano...
More on Nyiragongo volcano...
Hawaii Volcano Eruption Draws Crowd
19.425 N, 155.292 W, summit elevation 1222 m, Shield volcano
Sunday 28th July 2002
Glowing lava set trees afire and oozed into the ocean before dawn Saturday as thousands of spectators braved Kilauea Volcano's scalding spray to witness the spectacle.
It is the most dangerous display of volcanic activity from Kilauea since 1995. Since the flow began May 12, the lava has triggered one major fire, burning more than 3,600 acres.
The Hawaii Volcano Observatory reported that Saturday's breakout of lava crossed the Chain of Craters Road and cascaded into the sea on the east side of the Big Island.
Although Kilauea has been erupting for nearly 19 years, officials say up to 2,500 people a day have been flocking to witness the latest dramatics.
Flights to Hilo International Airport are heavily booked and car rental agencies on the Big Island report having few vehicles. Park rangers say cars stationed along the road a few hundred yards from the flow have been backed up for two miles.
Rangers have warned visitors that the volcano can be deadly as the lava creates acidic and potentially harmful steam plumes and undermines the lava crust that can suddenly collapse.
(see more on volcano dangers).
Smoke from burning asphalt as lava meets road poses an additional danger. No buildings or major roadways have been threatened by the latest phase in Kilauea's long eruption. An overflight on Friday found incandescence along a portion of Kilauea's crater, the scientists said, but there was no indication of a radical change in the marathon eruption. Seismic activity began increasing in the area in June with a "fairly high level" of earthquake activity, the scientists reported.
More on Kilauea volcano...
Nyamuragira Volcano Erupts (Democratic Republic of Congo)
1.408 S, 29.20 E, summit elevation 3058 m, shield volcano
Saturday 27th July 2002
Nyamuragira volcano erupted in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo overnight, spewing lava high into the air just 24 miles from the town of Goma which was devastated when Nyiragongo volcano erupted in January.
Lava is flowing to the North and South of the volcano. The eruption was large with a lava fountain 100 meters (300 feet) high, ash and volcanic debris in the air. The eruption was a fissure eruption with a curtain of lava being emitted over a distance of a few hundred metres. Nyamuragira's last eruption was between February 6 and March 10 last year. So far the volcano has not affected the residents of Goma and the volcano is erupting in the forest. There are few settlements in the immediate vicinity but aid workers said a tongue of lava could threaten several hundred people in the village of Tongo, about 12 miles to the east of the eruption. Several hundred thousand live in Goma. At the moment there are no casualties but an assessment of the damage will be made by helicopter on the damage to the park, food crops and grazing land for cattle. Nyamuragira volcano, which has a giant crater at its peak with 100-metre high walls, has erupted about 27 times in the last century.
More on Nyamuragira Volcano
Kilauea Volcano (Hawaii)
19.425 N, 155.292 W, summit elevation 1222 m, Shield volcano
Friday 26th July 2002
Lava is still entering the ocean in two places from the Mothers Day flow. Most of the activity is concentrated in the western half of the bench, which now is about 175 m wide along the coast and extends 30-40 m seaward. A wildfire started by the Mother's Day flow is evident atop Pulama pali.
More on Kilauea Volcano...
Kilauea Volcano (Hawaii)
19.425 N, 155.292 W, summit elevation 1222 m, Shield volcano
Thursday 25th July 2002
Lava continues to flow into ocean.
Both the West Highcastle and Wilipe`a ocean entries are more active. Lava is pouring into the water near the west and ends of the West Highcastle bench. Several small cascades come down the sea cliff to the bench. Some asphalt along the Chain of Craters Road was covered with lava overnight and is burning.
More on Kilauea Volcano...
Tungurahua Volcano (Ecuador)
1.467 S, 78.442 W, summit elevation 5023 m, stratovolcano
Thursday 25th July 2002
Ongoing activity at Tungurahua volcano
At Tungurahua during 16-22 July, there were several emissions of steam, gas, and ash, periods of continuous tremor, and incandescence was occasionally visible. Several explosions produced ash clouds to a maximum height of 3 km. On the evening of the 21st, in addition to a 1-km-high volcanic cloud, observers noted lava fountains and incandescent blocks rolling down the NW flank. On the morning of the 22nd, an eruption deposited relatively large amounts of ash NW of Tungurahua in the sectors of Ambato, Pillate, Pelileo, Cusua, and Chacauco.
More on tungurahua volcano...
Nyiragongo Volcano (Democratic Republic of Congo)
1.52 S, 29.25 E, summit elevation 3469 m, stratovolcano
Monday 22nd July 2002
During the last weeks, long and important episodes of tremor have been
recorded on several seismic stations deployed around volcano Nyiragongo. Some
of these episodes lasted for 23 hours per day. A team has climbed the volcano by foot on July 16th and 17th. Along the way, from the altitude of 2,700m, it was possible to recognize a volcanic plume, grey and black. A clearly identified smell of SO2 was detected at the altitude of 3,100m. Despite the poor visibility avoiding good views inside the crater, it was clear that the lower and central part of it
was extremely active and the presence of a new lava lake has been suspected.
During January 2002 Nyiragongo volcano erupted and partially destroyed the town of Goma displacing 500,000 people.
More on Nyiragongo volcano...
Kilauea Volcano (Hawaii)
19.425 N, 155.292 W, summit elevation 1222 m, Shield volcano
Monday 22nd July 2002
Lava enters the ocean in 2 places and covers a road.
The west arm of the Mother's Day lava flow moved 610 m in about 18 hours, a rate of almost 35 m/h. It went the final 250 m, from road to shoreline, in about 5 hours, 25 m/h and is now entering the sea. The West Highcastle lava flow is pouring down the sea cliff, across a small but definite bench, and dropping into the water. Lava is now crossing the highway at Chain of Craters Road. Most of the road and trail has been covered for about 250 m east of the old turnaround.
More on Kilauea Volcano...
Mt Etna Volcano (Italy)
37.73 N, 15.00 E, summit elevation 3350 m, Shield volcano
Monday 22nd July 2002
Volcanologists observe lava in the summit craters of Mt Etna. Yesterday small explosions of lava were seen inside North East crater at Mt Etna. Occasionally the explosive mouth was transformed into "a blowtorch" projecting a column of fire on a 30 meters heigh for more than one minute creating a loud noise. Bocca Nuova crater is emitting brown ash. These observations indicate the magma column is very high in the summit craters. Volcanic activity is slowly returning to Mt Etna after the large eruptions of July-August 2001.
More on Mt Etna...
Mt Ruapehu Volcano (New Zealand)
39.28 S, 175.57 E, summit elevation 2779 m, stratovolcano
Sunday 21st July 2002
A short-lived burst of tremor occurred under Mt Ruapehu on 15 July. Mt Ruapehu erupts every 2 years on average, but the last eruption was in 1997.
More on Mt Ruapehu...
Kilauea Volcano (Hawaii)
19.425 N, 155.292 W, summit elevation 1222 m, Shield volcano
Saturday 20th July 2002
Lava from the Mothers day flow has reached the sea. Lava in the east arm finally poured over the cliff on the platform and plunged onto shoreline boulders at 0200 on Friday.
Three distinct streams of lava are visible near the top of Pulama pali a couple of hundred meters or more farther west than previously. These streams are in forest and starting fires.
There is continued swarm of long-period earthquakes and tremor that has been taking place since early in June. This swarm appears to have picked up some in the past several days, both in the number of small earthquakes and in the amount of background tremor.
More on Kilauea Volcano...
Merapi Volcano (Java, Indonesia)
7.54 S, 110.44 E, summit elevation. 2911 m, Stratovolcano
Thursday 18th July 2002
Visual observation revealed as white-thick solfatara gas, rising 550 m above the summit. Glowing lava avalanche occurred toward upstream of K.Sat, K.Lamat, K.Senowo and K.Bebeng, with 2.5 km of maximum sliding distance. No events of pyroclastic flow within this period. Seismic record are 180 lava avalanche, and 12 tectonic events.
More on Mt Merapi Volcano...
Ijen Volcano (East Java, Indonesia)
8.05 S, 114.24 E, summit elevation 2386 m, Stratovolcanoes
Thursday 18th July 2002
Volcanic activity is still higher than active normal. No visual observation within this period due to thick fog that always covered the volcano. Shallow volcanic earthquake remain recorded, and increase in number compare to last week as well as tremor shock which has maximum amplitude of 0.5-4 mm. Seismic record are 13 B-volcanic, continuous tremor, and 2 tectonic.
Ijen volcano is in level 2.
More on Ijen Volcano...
Semeru Volcano (Java, Indonesia)
8.10 S, 112.92 E, summit elevation 3676 m, Stratovolcano.
Thursday 18th July 2002
Semeru activities is still higher than active normal level..Visual observation still disturbed by thick fog, but when it's clear noted that there was lava avalanche toward Besuk Kembar with about 750 m of sliding distance from crater's rim. Sometimes white-ash explosion occurred and produced 300 - 500 m height of ash plume.Seismograph remain recorded tectonic, explosion and avalanche earthquake. Number of those events are relatively decrease compare to previous week except on explosion event. Detail of seismic events activity are : 898 explosion, 77 avalanche, and 8 far tectonic. Semeru volcano is in level 2.
More on Semeru Volcano...
Early Warning System Needed for Goma
Thursday 18th July 2002
Early warning of future volcanic eruptions near Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), will be crucial prepare for a mass exodus of its residents, says a new report prepared for the World Health Organisation (WHO). There are two main hazards of immediate concern in a future eruption: either a lava eruption from fissures located within 1 km to 2 km from the shore of Lake Kivu; or an eruption in the lake which could lead to the widespread release of an asphyxiating gas cloud. Either of these events could result in a catastrophic loss of life.
Mt Nyiragongo, just outside Goma, erupted unexpectedly on 17 and 18 January, causing tens of thousands of people to temporarily flee the city, temporarily. The Nyiragongo volcano is one of eight on the borders of Rwanda, DRC and Uganda. Only two of these are still active: Nyamuragira, which erupted in 2001 causing no casualties, and Nyiragongo, which previously erupted on 10 January 1977, killing scores of people in less than 30 minutes.
Volcanoes of Democratic Republic of Congo
Kilauea Volcano (Hawaii)
19.425 N, 155.292 W, summit elevation 1222 m, Shield volcano
Tuesday 16th July 2002
The Boundary lava flow is sending two parallel streams down steep Pulama pali just inside the park boundary. This flow has been revitalized in the past three days.
Above Paliuli, three lava streams continue to be active on Pulama pali and on the gentle slope between Pulama and Paliuli. Lava flows caused several fires which were subject to helicopter-supported fire-fighting support.
There is a continued swarm of long-period earthquakes and tremor that has been taking place since early in June.
More on Kilauea Volcano
Tourists Visit Underwater Volcanoes in Submarine
Monday 15th July 2002
Tourists are visiting the rainbow vents off the Azores in the mid-Atlantic. This is the world of underground hydrothermal hot springs, mysterious geysers on the sea floor that form tall sediment chimneys in constant eruption. For a mere $21,950, 13 travelers booked passage in two tiny submersibles, called the Mir I and Mir II. Capable of reaching ocean depths of 20,000 feet, the Mirs are two of only five manned submersibles in the world that can reach these depths, trip organizers said. The expedition leaves the Azores today and returns July 25.
Once near the ocean floor and viewing the "black smokers" and towering pillars of multicolored cooling sediment, wannabe explorers will probably see alien marine life, including vast colonies of white crabs, blind shrimp, mussels, clams and slow-moving "dream fish" called zoarcids.
Without sunlight, a process called chemosynthesis allows the food chain to thrive, sustaining these life forms in full darkness and under tremendous crushing pressures. The vent environment can range from extremely cold to molten hot, sometimes only a few feet apart.
Volcanoes of Azores
Iceland Eruption Fears
Sunday 14th July 2002
UK scientists have detected signs of unusual geothermal activity beneath two ice caps in Iceland.
Tungaarjokull and Myrdalsjokull.
They say this has caused the appearance of two deep depressions, known as cauldrons, in one of the caps. Beneath the other they have recorded seismic movements which could be the precursor of a big eruption.
The scientists say there is little threat at present, but cannot predict how the activity may develop.
The two ice cauldrons, about 12 km (eight miles) apart, are on the Tungaarjokull glacier, on the western edge of the Vatnajokull ice cap in southern Iceland.
One cauldron is 1.5 km wide and 100 metres deep, and the other almost as large. The glacier itself is 200-300 m thick. The larger cauldron has grown deeper and wider last week. Geothermal activity triggered a rapid release of meltwater from under the glacier. (BBC)
Earthquakes measuring 3 on the Richter scale have been measured under Myrdalsjokull ice cap in south central Iceland. The last time there was an eruption there, in 1918, the outflow reached 250,000 tonnes of water per second from the ice cap, and the fallout of the ash cloud spread to the mainland of northern Europe.
Volcanoes of Iceland
Lava Flows in Hawaii Attract Crowds
Friday 12th July 2002
The number of tourists visiting the Big Island is erupting thanks to a recent eruption at Kilauea volcano. The so-called "Mother's Day flow" has been active for months and the tourists are arriving by the busloads. What's unique is visitors get to hike out and see the molten lava up close.
Lava flows are now within a three-quarters of a mile walk from the end of Chain of Craters Road in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. This hasn't happened, the flows haven't been this accessible, since 1995. Officials at Hilo and Kona airports said more than 1,500 people are flying in every day. That's a jump from a typical average of 850 visitors a day.
More on Kilauea Volcano
Langila Volcano (Papua New Guinea)
5.53 S, 148.42 E, summit elevation 1330 m, Complex volcano
Friday 12th July 2002
Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisary Centre reports an eruption of Langila volcani in Papua New Guinea. On 10th July at 2300 hr an ash cloud reached 11,000 ft.
More on Langila volcano
New Active Volcanoes Discovered in Andes
Thursday 11th July 2002
Geophysicists analyzing remote-sensing satellite data say they have identified four more active volcanoes in the Andes mountains, including one located near a town in southern Peru.
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology identified the new sites in a study of 900 volcanoes in South America published in the journal Nature. The data was collected from 1992-2000 by a pair of satellites operated by the European Space Agency.
The four volcanoes were thought to be dormant, and none appears to be in danger of imminent eruption. Researchers said the discovery provides nearby communities with warnings of possible lavaflows, landslides and other hazards. It also demonstrates how orbiting radar instruments can detect ground swelling and other subtle signals of volcanic activity.
Of the four locations, scientists said the Hualca Hualca volcano in southern Peru is noteworthy because it is swelling near a town of 20,000. It is part of the same volcano cluster as the Sabancaya volcano, which erupted in 1990.
A second volcano, Uturuncu in Bolivia, is bulging about one inch per year, the study shows, while the Robledo caldera in Argentina is deflating for unknown reasons. The fourth volcano lies on the border between Chile and Argentina.
Researchers said the satellites bounce a radar signal off the volcano's surface and measure the time it takes the signal to return. On a later orbit the satellite repeats the measurement. If the results are different, it means the volcano is changing as a result of magma flowing below.
Mt Kilimanjaro's Disappearing Glacier (Tanzania)
3.07 S, 37.35 E, summit elevation 5895 m, Complex volcano
Tuesday 9th July 2002
Climate scientists say glaciers all around the world are retreating. In Africa, the snows of Kilimanjaro, made famous by Hemingway, are disappearing. The mountain's permanent ice cap has shrunk by more than 80 percent in the last century and some scientists predict it will disappear entirely before the decade is out. Mountian glaciers, especially in the tropics, are more sensitive to temperature change than the ice at the poles, and the fact that they are melting now, after being stable for the last 10,000 years, is a sign that the earth is getting warmer.
More on Mt Kilimanjaro
Semeru Volcano (Java, Indonesia)
8.10 S, 112.92 E, summit elevation 3676 m, Stratovolcano
Tuesday 9th July 2002
As of the 3rd of July, the Volcanology Society of Indonesia has reported that an observer reported that Semeru activities is still higher than normal active. Seismograph continued to record tectonic, volcanic, explosion and avalanche quakes. Records of seismicity are: 782 events of explosion, 83 events of avalanche, 1 event of tremor and 11 events of far tectonic quake. As of the 26 of June, the Volcanology Society of Indonesia (VSI) has reported that Semeru activities is still higher than normal active. During the reporting time, observer noticed lava avalanche which traveled down to Besuk Kembar river with the distance was about 750 m away from crater rim. Seismograph continued to record tectonic, volcanic, explosion and avalanche quakes. Records of seismicity are: 670 events of explosion, 75 events of avalanche and 6 events of far tectonic quake. Semeru volcano is in level 2.
More on Semeru Volcano
Kerinci Volcano (Sumatra, Indonesia)
1.69 S, 101.27 E, summit elevation 3805 m, stratovolcano
Tuesday 9th July 2002
Report for July 3, 2002. The Volcanology Society of Indonesia (VSI) has reported that Kerinci activity is still dominated with small explosion earthquakes, number of volcanic and tectonic quakes increase compare to the previous week. Visual activity could be observed clearly, there was minor explosion which produce white thick-darkish plume, medium gas pressure, rose 100-500 m height above the summit trend to west. List of seismicity data are: 7 events of deep volcanic (VA), 1 event of shallow volcanic (VB), 7 events of tectonic and continuous of small explosion quake. The Kerinci volcano is currently at the ALERT LEVEL 2 alert level.
More on Kerinci Volcano
Kilauea Volcano (Hawaii)
19.425 N, 155.292 W, summit elevation 1222 m, Shield volcano
Sunday 7th July 2002
The Mother's Day lava flow is inflating across a broad area on the coastal flat, the most active of which is in the southeastern part of the flow. There, two arms are reaching far seaward from the overall perimeter of the flow. By 1130 on 5th July, the western arm had moved 60 m seaward from its position the day before, and the eastern arm, 80 m. By 1600, the eastern arm had advanced another 20 m into a small vegetated kipuka and burned vegeatation. Currently the eastern arm is about 530 m from a kipuka of the old Chain of Craters Road at Highcastle itself, and 590 m from the sea cliff. A fire started by a breakout near the top of pali is burning brightly, creating a pungent wood-smoke smell down the gusty trade wind. Pu`u `O`o's crater is glowing dimly.
More on Kilauea Volcano
Kilauea Volcano (Hawaii)
19.425 N, 155.292 W, summit elevation 1222 m, Shield volcano
Saturday 6th July 2002
The lava flow advance rate has picked up, mostly along the eastern and southeastern margins, where small breakouts are common. Two main lobes continue to develop. The southernmost is about 650 m from the ocean and has moved 70-80 m east in the past two days. The lobe forming at the southeast margin has advanced even farther (about 160 m in the past two days).
More on Kilauea Volcano
Kanlaon Volcano (Negros Island, Philippines)
10.41 N, 123.13 E, summit elevation 2435 m, stratovolcano
Thursday 4th July 2002
There has been a sudden increase in Kanlaon Volcano’s steaming activity. At about 4:36 A.M. on 28th June 2002 dirty white steam was observed rising up to 200 meters above Kanlaon’s active crater and which drifted towards the southwest and south-southwest directions. However, there was no corresponding significant earthquake activity as the seismic network detected only two (2) high frequency volcanic quakes for the previous day. Up to now, Kanlaon Volcano remains seismically quiet. However, PHIVOLCS does not discount the possibility of the sudden occurrence of unpredictable ash ejections from Kanlaon Volcano. Hence, this office recommends the immediate suspension of all treks to the summit crater until further notice. As an additional precaution, entry into the pre-defined 4-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) should be avoided at all times.
More on Kanlaon Volcano
Semeru Volcano (Java, Indonesia)
8.10 S, 112.92 E, summit elevation 3676 m, Stratovolcano
Thursday 4th July 2002
The Volcanology Society of Indonesia (VSI) has reported that Semeru activity is still higher than normal. Seismograph continued to record tectonic, volcanic, explosion and avalanche quakes. Records of seismicity are: 782 events of explosion, 83 events of avalanche, 1 event of tremor and 11 events of far tectonic quake.
More on Semeru Volcano
Mt Etna Volcano (Italy)
37.73 N, 15.00 E, summit elevation 3350 m, Shield volcano
Wednesday 3rd July 2002
Ash emissions continue from the summit craters (Bocca Nuova and North East Crater). Sounds can be heard at North East Crater. Volcanic activity is slowly returning to Mt Etna after the many months of quiet.
More on Mt Etna Volcano