Etna

Etna

Etna’s volcanic activity started about one and a half million years ago, with submarine eruptions occurring off the old East Sicily’s coast. About 300,000 years ago, the volcano’s activity moved to South East, and then, 170,000 years ago, Etna settled in its present position. Explosive eruptions, at that time, created the first and main volcanic edifice and generated a thick disguise of lava. The process of expansion of Etna was often interrupted by bigger eruptions that provoked the collapse of the summit and the formation of many craters.

Between 35,000 and 15,000 years ago, Etna was characterized by some high-explosive eruptions, that generated a big fall of rocks. The ash coming from the eruptions was found about 800 km away from the northern side of the Volcano. Thousands of years ago, the left side of the mountain collapsed, creating a huge landslide, an event similar to the one that happened in 1980 in St. Helens Mount. The slide left a big depression on the Etna’s southern side, today known as “Valle del Bove”.