ETNA VOLCANO PHOTOS

- Activity in November 2006 (Part 4) - Lava flows from the 3050 vent West of SE crater (1) -

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In perfect timing of the All Saints Holiday, good weather conditions invite Catania's population to pay a visit to see the essence of their mountain, Etna volcano. A dike (a fracture in which lava is moving up- and sidewards inside the volcano) is cutting through the SE crater in a W-ESE direction. One end is the vent at 2800 m elevation that opened on 13 October and has been active since then (see also previous pages from November). On 16 October, the western end of the dike reaches the surface for the first time and opens a new vent at around 3050 m elevation, on the lower flank of the Bocca Nuova crater. This vent is active in an approximate two-day rythm, producing large flows that form spectacular, relatively thin sheets in wide channels that spread in the flat area below the summit craters. Different from the flows in Valle del Bove, these lava flows are more violent but not long-lived enough to form lava tubes.
The branching lava flows descending from the fissure vent on the Bocca Nuova flank.		Surface of the flowing lava.
Island between two flow branches.	A photographer and his guide.	Group of visitors.	The lava flow at night.
Marco Fulle taking photos of the flow.		Karen taking photos of the wide flow of lava.	Alongside the flow, the number of people and vehicles is surprising for a November night on Etna...

The same flow is still active on 2 November and its most advenced front has reached about 2200 m elevation on the western flank of Etna where it is going to stop eventually.
Starts and moonlight behing Etna.	Marco is taking last photos before rapid rain clouds cover the mountain and force us to leave quickly.
Etna's upper west flank is a steppe of lava flows and grass.
Sunset light on grass and pines.

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