Mount Etna facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Etna |
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Etna with the city of Catania in the foreground (December 2007)
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,357 m (11,014 ft) (varies) |
| Prominence | 3,357 m (11,014 ft) Ranked 56th |
| Listing | Ultra |
| Geography | |
 Mount Etna
Location in Sicily
Mount Etna
Location in Italy
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| Geology | |
| Age of rock | 350,000 – 500,000 years |
| Mountain type | Stratovolcano |
| Last eruption | 4 July 2024 |
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| Criteria | Natural: viii |
| Inscription | 2013 (37th Session) |
| Area | 19,237 ha |
| Buffer zone | 26,220 ha |
Mount Etna, often just called Etna, is a very active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy. It sits between the cities of Messina and Catania. Etna is one of the tallest active volcanoes in Europe. It's also the highest peak in Italy south of the Alps.
Its height changes often because of eruptions. In 2021, Etna grew about 100 ft (30 m) taller due to a lot of volcanic material. The southeastern crater is now the highest part. Etna covers a huge area of 1,190 km2 (459 sq mi). This makes it the largest of Italy's active volcanoes. It's about two and a half times taller than Mount Vesuvius.
Mount Etna is one of the world's most active volcanoes. It is almost always erupting in some way. The rich soil from its volcanic activity is great for farming. Many vineyards and orchards grow on its lower slopes. Because it's so active and close to people, the United Nations named Mount Etna a Decade Volcano. In June 2013, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Etna's Name and Ancient Stories
The name Etna might come from the Greek word aíthō, which means "I burn". Another idea is that it comes from the Phoenician word attuna, meaning "furnace" or "chimney". In Arabic, it's called Jabal al-Nār, meaning "the Mountain of Fire".
In Greek mythology, the powerful monster Typhon was trapped under this mountain by Zeus, the king of the gods. The god of blacksmithing, Hephaestus (or Vulcan in Roman myths), was also said to have his workshop under Etna.
The volcano is also known as Muncibbeḍḍu in Sicilian and Mongibello in Italian. These names likely combine the words for "mountain" from both Romance and Arabic languages. Today, Mongibello refers to the area with Etna's main craters.
Stories from Arthurian Romance also mention Etna. Some tales say that Morgan le Fay and King Arthur had an otherworld castle inside Etna. These stories came from Breton people who moved to Sicily. They were amazed by the volcano's mysterious feel. Mediaeval writers like Gervase of Tilbury and Caesarius of Heisterbach wrote about Arthur's kingdom beneath Etna.
How Etna Erupts
Etna's eruptions happen in different ways. Most eruptions occur at the top, where there are five main craters. Other eruptions happen on the sides of the mountain. There are over 300 vents on its flanks, from small holes to large craters.
Eruptions from the top can be very explosive and amazing to watch. However, they usually don't threaten nearby towns. Eruptions from the sides can happen much lower down the mountain. These can be very close to, or even inside, populated areas. Many villages are built on old lava flows from past flank eruptions.
Since the year 1600, Etna has had at least 60 flank eruptions. Many more summit eruptions have happened. Almost half of these have occurred since the 1900s. Since 2000, Etna has had four flank eruptions. These were in 2001, 2002–2003, 2004–2005, and 2008–2009. Summit eruptions have also been frequent, including in 2006, 2007–2008, 2012, 2018, and 2021.
Etna's Past: A Geological Story
Volcanic activity at Etna began about 500,000 years ago. The first eruptions happened under the sea near Sicily's old coastline. Around 300,000 years ago, the eruptions moved southwest. Then, about 170,000 years ago, activity shifted to the current center.
During this time, the first large volcano formed. It was a stratovolcano, built by alternating explosive and flowing lava eruptions. Sometimes, huge eruptions caused the top of the mountain to collapse. This created large bowl-shaped hollows called calderas.
Between 35,000 and 15,000 years ago, Etna had some very explosive eruptions. These created large flows of hot ash and gas called pyroclastic flows. Ash from these eruptions has been found as far away as 800 km north, near Rome.
Thousands of years ago, the eastern side of the mountain collapsed. This created a huge landslide, similar to the one at Mount St. Helens in 1980. The landslide left a large dip in the volcano's side, known as 'Valle del Bove' (Valley of the Ox). Scientists believe this happened around 8,000 years ago. It caused a massive tsunami that affected parts of the eastern Mediterranean.
The steep walls of this valley show layers of rock from Etna's past eruptions. This gives scientists a clear record of the volcano's history. The most recent collapse at Etna's summit happened about 2,000 years ago. This formed the Piano Caldera. Later lava flows have mostly filled this caldera. However, you can still see it as a change in the mountain's slope.
Mount Etna is slowly moving towards the Mediterranean Sea. It slides about 14 mm (0.55 in) each year.
Famous Eruptions Throughout History
The first known record of an Etna eruption was written by Diodorus Siculus. In 396 BCE, an eruption of Etna reportedly stopped the Carthaginians from attacking Syracuse.
A very strong explosive eruption happened in 122 BCE. It caused a lot of ash and rock to fall southeast, including on the town of Catania. Many roofs collapsed there. To help Catania rebuild, the Roman government let its people avoid paying taxes for ten years. The Roman poet Virgil also wrote about an eruption in his poem, the Aeneid.
Many eruptions between 1 CE and 1500 CE were not recorded. Some important ones include:
- Around 1030 CE, a lava flow traveled about 10 km to the sea.
- Around 1160 CE, a lava flow reached the sea near Catania.
Rabban Bar Sauma, a traveler from China, wrote about Etna erupting on June 18, 1287.
The 1669 eruption was Etna's most destructive since 122 BCE. It started on March 11, 1669. Lava flows destroyed at least 10 villages. Five weeks later, on April 15, the lava reached the city walls of Catania. The walls mostly sent the lava into the sea, filling Catania's harbor. A small part of the lava broke through the walls and destroyed a few buildings.
It's often said that 15,000 or even 20,000 people died in 1669. However, old records from that time don't mention any deaths from the lava. They only talk about buildings and land destroyed. This high death count might be confused with a huge earthquake in 1693 that hit Sicily, including Catania. Studies show that only 77 deaths have been directly caused by Etna's eruptions. The most recent were two tourists killed by an explosion in 1987.
Since 1750, seven of Etna's eruptions have lasted more than five years. This is more than any other volcano except Vesuvius.
Modern Eruptions (1923–Today)
Etna is "Europe's most active volcano," so eruptions happen often. For example, there were 16 eruptions in 2001 alone. Several important eruptions have happened in the last century.
A big eruption took place in June 1923. In 1928, a large lava flow destroyed a town for the first time since 1669. This eruption started on November 2. New cracks opened lower down the volcano. The strongest crack opened on November 4, very low down, at about 1,200 m (3,937 ft). The village of Mascali was almost completely destroyed in two days. Only a church and a few buildings survived. The lava also cut off the Messina-Catania railway line.
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Other major eruptions in the 1900s were in 1949, 1971, 1979, 1981, 1983, and 1991–1993. In 1971, lava covered the Etna Observatory and destroyed the first cable car. It also threatened several small villages. In March 1981, the town of Randazzo barely escaped being destroyed by very fast-moving lava.
The 1991–1993 eruption threatened the town of Zafferana. Engineers built barriers to try and stop the lava. When that didn't work, they used explosives to break a lava tube. This forced the lava into a new path, away from Zafferana. The eruption slowed down, and the town was saved.
After six years of intense activity at the summit craters, Etna had a flank eruption in July–August 2001. This eruption was widely reported because it happened during the tourist season. It also occurred near a tourist area, making it easy to access. Part of the "Etna Sud" tourist area was damaged.
In 2002–2003, a much larger eruption sent a huge ash column into the sky. It could be seen from space and ash fell as far away as Libya, 600 km (370 mi) south. This eruption also caused the eastern sides of the volcano to slip up to two meters. Many houses were damaged. The eruption completely destroyed the tourist station Piano Provenzana. It also damaged part of the "Etna Sud" tourist station. Footage from these eruptions was even used in the 2005 Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith movie.
On September 4, 2007, a major lava fountain erupted from a new vent. It created an ash plume that fell over the east side of the volcano. A lava flow traveled about 4.5 km (2.8 mi) into the uninhabited Valle del Bove. This eruption was visible across Sicily. Catania-Fontanarossa Airport closed for safety.
An eruption on May 13, 2008, near Etna's summit craters, came with over 200 earthquakes. This eruption lasted for 417 days, until July 6, 2009. It was Etna's longest flank eruption since 1991–1993.
From January 2011 to February 2012, Etna's summit craters were very active. Frequent eruptions and ash columns often forced the Catania airport to close. In July 2011, lava flows threatened the Sapienza Refuge, a main tourist spot. But the lava was successfully diverted. In 2014, another flank eruption started with lava flows and Strombolian explosions.
On December 3, 2015, an eruption caused a lava fountain to reach 1 km (3,300 ft) high. The ash plume went up to 3 km (9,800 ft). The activity continued, and the ash plume reached 7 km (23,000 ft) high, closing Catania airport again. Scientists use special equipment to measure gases from the volcano. This helps them predict when it might erupt.
An eruption on March 16, 2017, injured 10 people, including a BBC News TV crew. This happened when magma exploded after hitting snow.
On December 24, 2018, an eruption sent ash into the air. This forced the closure of airspace around Mount Etna. Two days later, a magnitude 4.9 earthquake shook the town of Fleri. It damaged buildings and injured four people.
Starting in February 2021, Mount Etna began a series of explosive eruptions. Volcanic ash and rock fell on nearby villages and cities, even as far as Catania. By March 12, 2021, the volcano had erupted 11 times in three weeks. The ash clouds often went over 10 km (33,000 ft) into the air, closing Sicilian airports. No injuries were reported.
In February 2022, there were two eruptions. On February 11, lava fountains from the Southeast Crater reached almost 1,000 m high. Lava bombs were thrown far away. Ash blew west and then southeast. A large lava flow went down the western side. On February 19, another explosive eruption from the Southeast Crater sent high lava fountains and flows. The longest flow went towards the Bove Valley.
On May 29, 2022, the Southeast Crater suddenly collapsed. This created a crack on its northern side. A small lava flow came out and headed towards the Leone Valley. It continued for three days with small eruptions from other vents.
Etna erupted again on July 4, 2024.
Volcanic Explosivity Index of Recent Eruptions
The Global Volcanism Program uses a scale called the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) for eruptions. Here's how Etna's eruptions have been rated since 1955:
| VEI | Number of eruptions (total=49) |
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| VEI 0 |
1
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| VEI 1 |
17
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| VEI 2 |
24
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| VEI 3 |
7
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Cool Smoke Rings
In the 1970s, Etna erupted vortex rings, which are like smoke rings. This is very rare for volcanoes. It happened again in 2000 and was captured on video. More rings were seen in April 2013, and again in the summers of 2023 and 2024.
Where Towns Meet on Etna
The borders of ten different towns meet at the very top of Mount Etna. These towns are Adrano, Biancavilla, Belpasso, Bronte, Castiglione di Sicilia, Maletto, Nicolosi, Randazzo, Sant'Alfio, and Zafferana Etnea. This makes it a unique spot where many boundaries meet.
Visiting Mount Etna
Etna is a major tourist attraction in Sicily. Thousands of people visit it every year. The most common way to visit is by taking the road to the Sapienza Refuge ski area. This area is on the south side of the crater, at an elevation of 1,910 m.
From the Refuge, you can take a cableway up to 2,500 m. From there, you can reach the crater area at 2,920 m.
The Ferrovia Circumetnea is a narrow-gauge railway that goes around the volcano. It's 110 km long and runs in a semi-circle. It starts in Catania and ends in Riposto, north of Catania.
Etna also has two ski resorts. One is at the Sapienza Refuge, with a chairlift and three ski lifts. The other is smaller, on the north side, at Piano Provenzana near Linguaglossa. It has three lifts and a chairlift.
The Sapienza Refuge was also the finish line for stages of the 2011 Giro d'Italia and 2017 Giro d'Italia bike races.
Related pages
See also
- Genista aetnensis, the Mount Etna broom
- List of Italian regions by highest point
- List of volcanoes in Italy
- Mount Vesuvius
- Sacred mountains
- Volcanic Seven Summits
