mount Etna

• volcano located in Catania , Italy
• occurred from October 2002 to January 2003
• Etna is the result of African and Eurasian plate collision - lead to formation of stratovolcano upper half
• constructive style continental rifting has led to formation of shield volcano at base
• what happened on Oct 25t 2002?

  • 3.6 magnitude
  • magma was rising towards crater
• what happened on Oct 26th 2002?


  • 1km fissure opened on flanks of volcano
  • Ash plume erupted - 3km
  • Catania airport shut for 2 weeks
• what happened through Jan 2003?

  • pyroclastic flows from fissures - measured 40-50million
  • Catania airport shut down again for 2 weeks
  • tephra falls set forests ablaze
  • 1000 people from Santa Veneria homeless
• what happened from 28th Oct-28th Jan?

  • 20 million cubic metres of lava erupted onto southern flanks
  • Skiing resort of Piano Provenzana destroyed
• Skii resorts of Piano Provenzana and Rifuigo Sapienza were destroyed by lava flows
• Catania airport was shut down for several weeks
• residental areas such as Linguaglossa were evacuated - 1000 people had to leave their homes and stay in holiday homes
• hundreds of hectares of forest were destroyed
• 300 familiy buisness affected - loss of earnings for many people
• ski schools closed = many left island to find work
• 75% of local agricultural jobs lost
• 140 million euros lost in local economy
• INGV has monitored volcano for 20 years with permanent network of remote sensors connected to the eruption center in Catania
• INGV has used what to monitor the volcano?

  • seismometers
  • tiltmeters
  • Sulphur dioxide and radon gas levels measured
  • aerial observation of craters
• how was lava directed away from residental areas at Linguaglossa?

  bulldozers cracked tarmac to build build barriers in a car park - created channels to divert lava
• what was used to protect Zafferena?

  initally - dams of soil and volcanic rock

  FAILED - explosives used instead to divert lava flows
• Italian Army used helicopters to divert lava flows with concrete blocks - lava stopped 850m short of Zafferena
• £5.6 million was used as immediate financial assistance
• houses have sloping roofs to prevent collapse from ash falls
• is MT Etna effectively managed?

  yes

  • no recent deaths during eruptions , 100,000 still live around Etna
  • effective prediction from INGV
  • Italian government could provide better assistance to those affected in the long term
• magma = basaltic