Sicily’s Mt. Etna
Etna Update (September 2004): new eruption at Mount Etna
After almost two years of inactivity, several fissures opened on the eastern
side of Mount Etna, near the base of the Southeast Crater. This event is somewhat
unusual, as it was not accompanied by summit activity and there were practically
no precursors. At present lava is flowing relatively slowly from two fissures
into the Valle del Bove, and poses no threat to the population. The webcams
from Etna Trekking: http://www.etnatrekking.com/webcam/webcam.asp
give an overview of the area. At night by clear weather the flows can be seen
on Webcam 1. They are partially flowing in tubes so appear to be interrupted.
A word of warning for Etna visitors: the area is not easily accessible and the
weather on Etna changes very quickly. Last week a visitor was killed by lightning.
There has also been snow recently. Visits to the flow should only be undertaken
with the utmost caution and with the necessary equipment, including weatherproof
clothing.
Annette
Etna
Update! (October 2003)
One year on — Piano Provenzana, Linguaglossa, Sicily 27.10.2002 —
27.10.2003
On Monday 27 October 2003, the town of Linguaglossa on the north side of Mount Etna was commemorating the day the 2002 eruption destroyed their tourist centre and ski station, Piano Provenzana, the small group of buildings forever lost beneath tons of lava, as a fissure opened up above the station. This was not the first time that the fissure had been active, but a shift of a few metres to the east meant the difference between the lava flowing on the far side of the ridge into relatively uninhabited terrain and the devastation of a popular scenic spot visited by thousands of tourists, bringing with it the loss of the livelihood of some 200 people.
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Piano Provenzana in the winter of 2001. The circle
marks the restaurant ‘Le Betulle’ |
Piano Provenzana in 2002. The circle marks the
remains of ‘Le Betulle’ |
The town chose this date to honour its volunteer helpers and the emergency services by awarding certificates and presenting photos and pictures. An informative exhibition of photos and maps and a powerpoint presentation showing the events was set up in the foyer, and to end the evening a film produced by the Italian TV company RAI gave a very graphic insight of the eruption that changed the lives of so many people.
Today the scene at Piano Provenzana is not only one of total devastation, but one of a town determined to build again what nature destroyed. Driving up the road towards the centre, the cracks can clearly be seen where the eastern side of the mountain is slipping away towards the sea and the path is suddenly blocked by the lava flow, but a rough dirt track to the left is the first sign of a new road and the noise of heavy machinery can be heard as the inhabitants, despite not having received any form of compensation, are busy with reconstruction. We took a very bumpy jeep ride up to the former station, where only a few remnants of a wall still stand amongst the blocky lava, remembering the lush vegetation of our first visit, the green meadow and the row of chalets selling trinkets and souvenirs. A few new chalets have been set up in a clearing, but the visitors are sparse. Our trip continued upwards to the top of the fissure and the newly formed craters, a moon landscape with its own special beauty, especially on this clear day, with the coast of Calabria and the Aeolian Islands clearly visible in the distance.
The people of Linguaglossa humbled us with their generosity, despite their problems. Although they are fighting to rebuild their existence up on the mountain and are waiting patiently for the promised financial aid to arrive, we were treated to a trip at a price far below the official one because, despite the hardships, they love their Etna. As Dario, the photographer, put it as he packed the souvenirs we bought in his shop ‘Ethnik’, adding an extra photo or a calendar as a gift, ‘we are grateful to the mountain for allowing us to make a livelihood for some time, and are not bitter that she took this away. We will build again. Come back next year. The station will be open for business. We look forward to seeing you’.
I can thoroughly recommend this trip and the town of Linguaglossa. Etna north side is not the big tourist centre as presented in the south and prices are very reasonable, not only for the jeep trip, but also for accommodation and restaurants. A warm welcome from the quiet and friendly locals is assured for those who wish to visit their mountain and friends are made easily. Can’t wait for the next opportunity to visit.
Annette
Photos by kind permission of Dario Lo Scavo, Linguaglossa
Etna
Update! (4 December 2002)
Eruptive activity is still continuing on Etna. Since our last
update, news has come in concerning the situation at Piano Provenzana. This
pleasant area of mountain meadows and pine forest has ceased to exist in this
form. The earth tremors partly destroyed some of the buildings and the vent
which opened above the complex, produced a lava flow which covered the whole
area and set fire to the forest. Picures show a scene of complete devastation.
Hard to believe that we were standing there waiting for the jeep to take us
to the summit in May 2001.
The Mareneve road, scene of our first observations last year during our
trip in 2001, was damaged by the fissures which opened during the early
stages of this ongoing event.
Having put an end to all tourist operations on the north side, Etna continues
its destruction on the south side. This highly touristic region was damaged
in last year's July eruptions, but the new event has seen the destruction of
the ski area and some of the buildings, so effectively shutting down operations
on this side as well. The new cone near the summit continues to produce lava,
sometimes with spectacular fountaining, and ash frequently rains down in the
Catania area, which has caused the airport to be closed on several occasions.
Access to the volcano on the south side is prohibited above 1 500 m.
Boris Behnke, our guide for the tour last year now has a new Etna page which
can be found at:
http://boris.vulcanoetna.com/
(Etna news). The site contains frequent updates and some very good photos of
Etna's current state.
Annette
Etna
Update! (1 November 2002)
Great to see so many visitors to the site at present, and we can only surmise that Etna is the centre of attention. Having just returned from Santorini, on yet another volcano trip (and the photos will appear shortly), the fiery lady on Sicily, and her moods, took me by surprise. Almost everyone I met on my return asked why I was not on Sicily, but then I sometimes have to work, or the trips would not be possible.
Notwithstanding, I am catching up on the news and hope to be able to bring updates on the activity.
As of today, things seem to have quietened down somewhat. What this means is difficult to say, as we have not been treated to those spectacular pictures and reports as was the case last year. This eruption has occurred in an area that we visited, with Linguaglossa being our base camp for the trip. At that time, the little town was unperturbed by all the action, and the locals found our excitement at the nightly Strombolian activity somewhat amusing. Not so now. This quiet little town has become the centre of attention, and the new outbreak, with its lava flows, is partially on the side of the mountain facing Linguaglossa. Part of the town is built on an old lava flow from 1566 (hence the name, meaning large tongue), so the inhabitants know that the situation could become dangerous. At present, however, the lava flows are several kilometres away and slowing. The activity can be heard though, and windows shake with the explosions.
We had started our jeep trip up the volcano from Piano Provenzana, a name which has often been mentioned in the news of the past few days. Piano Provenzana stands on a platform ca. 1 800 m above sea level (some 1 500 m below the summit craters) on the north-eastern slope. Several faults run through the area in a NE/SW direction and many old cinder cones can be seen on the slopes and in the forests surrounding the buildings. It is the starting point for the ski lifts on this side of the mountain, which the lava flows have now partially destroyed.
Information is constantly landing on my desktop, so as soon as I get a chance to work through it, I will update as and when necessary. In the meantime our thoughts are with our friends in Linguaglossa and the surroundings (and their mainland Italy neighbours, who have been so tragically affected by the earthquakes). We know what a difficult time this is, and although we await the news with great excitement, we hope, for them, that this will only be just another Etna tantrum.
Annette
Etna
update (1 August 2001)
Since our return from Sicily, the situation has changed dramatically. On 17 July 2001, the long-awaited flank eruption started and is on-going. During our visit we experienced earth tremors, an indication that magma was continuing to rise. Much of the information in the media at present is not totally correct. Boris Behncke, our group leader for the trip, has written and continues to write very good reports on the current activity and the situation on and around Etna. These can be found on his website http://boris.vulcanoetna.com/
Annette
Read also our reports from our field trip to Etna in 2001 and Etna Revisited 2003.
A new Field Trip to Etna is in the planning for May 2005 - See the Events list.
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Last modified on Thursday, May 05, 2005 at 09:01