Mount Etna
Mount Etna is Europe's tallest active volcano and is located in Sicily, Italy. Like many other dangerous volcanoes such as Mount St Helens and Mount Vesuvius, Etna is a composite volcano. It has been created by the Earth's active tectonic plate system – the African plate is moving below the Eurasian plate. As the Eurasian plate moves down into the Earth, it melts. Rising magma erupts at the surface as lava and ash and builds Etna in the process.
Etna has erupted many times during recorded history and is still very active.
There are towns and villages surrounding the mountain, including Catania. In the past, the Italian authorities have used explosives, concrete dams, and ditches to divert lava flows away from these settlements.
Image: A volcanologist wearing a protective suit watches Etna erupt in 2000 (credit: Jeremy Bishop)
Introduction
Mount Etna
TV clips (3)
play
Explosives used to divert lava
BBC News reports on a 1992 Mount Etna eruption.
The BBC's Justin Webb reports on attempts to divert lava flows on Mount Etna during a 1992 eruption.
play
Active Mount Etna
Europe's tallest active volcano erupts frequently.
Professor Iain Stewart explains that Mount Etna is an extremely active volcano.
play
The dawn of volcanology
Mount Etna has been studied for thousands of years.
Professor Iain Stewart recalls some of the ancient myths associated with Mount Etna and explains how the ancient Greeks began to take a more rational approach to the world around them. Mount Etna is an extremely active volcano that sits over a type of plate boundary known as a subduction zone.
Subjects in this collection
-
Rocks
Rocks are a valuable record of the Earth's history.
-
Magma
Large bodies of molten rock exist below the Earth's surface.
-
Plate tectonics
A theory explains why many of the continents fit together.
-
Composite volcanoes
Composite volcano eruptions are often the most deadly.
-
Lava
Aa is a Hawaiian name for a type of lava.
-
Mountain formation
Most mountains are formed at tectonic plate boundaries.
-
Volcanoes
Eruptions cause widespread destruction and death but are vital for our survival.
News
North Cornwall activity firms promoting conservation
… in activities like coasteering and...
BBC links
BBC © 2013 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.