ETNA VOLCANO PHOTOS

- Activity in November 2006 (Part 7) - Strong explosions (spattering) and new lava flows from the 3050 vent West of SE crater (4) -

[home] -> [photos] -> [Etna volcano] -> [2006] -> [November '06: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8]

On the afternoon of 8 November, SE crater has a brief episode of ash emission and strombolian activity that lasts only a minute. Instead of culminating into a paroxyxm from the SE crater itself as on the day after, another surprising spectacle awaits us today: the vent at 3050 m W of the cone, that has been inactive for a few days becomes active again, feeding new flows that are emplaced on and next to the ones from the previous episode from 1-3 November. Only a fewer visitors, mainly mountain guides are in the area and rush to the scene.
A second vent on the same fissure, about 30 m above the large effusive vent, has been active and feeding a slow lava flow. Suddenly, explosive activity starts at this vent (spattering) that quickly becomes violent, throwing bombs to 200 m height.
Sequence of explosions from the upper vent, that grow bigger. The lower vent continues to emit a large and fast moving lava flow with several branches.
Effusive and explosive action at twilight; the broad cone of the summit crater complex (Bocca Nuova and Voragine craters) in the background. Tiny persons in the scene give the scale.

The advancing, young lava fronts, with their typical thin, sheet-like appearance.		Heated air refracts the bright sun.	The effusive lower vent.
Descending and widening lava flows. Groups of people with torches arrive on the scene.
Spattering action from the upper vent at night, the bright trajectories are fragments of exploding lava bubbles several meters across.

Advancing lava fronts at night.

[home] -> [photos] -> [Etna volcano] -> [2006] -> [November '06: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8]