The eruption of Mount Etna has been ongoing for seven days, causing disruption to air traffic in Sicily at the height of the summer season.
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Catania airport has extended the suspension of flights until 08:00 on 14 August because of volcanic ash.
In the meantime, Etna, affectionately nicknamed “Her Majesty” by locals, continues to attract large numbers of visitors.
Euronews has gathered the views of experts and local guides on the unusual length of the eruption and on the precautions to take to watch it safely.
An exceptionally long eruption
According to Salvo Gambino, director of the Etnean Observatory in Catania at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), the current eruptive phase of Etna shows characteristics already observed in the past, but it is its duration that makes it stand out.
“Similar phenomena were seen in the late 1970s,” Gambino told Euronews. In recent decades, lava fountains and flows have occurred on several occasions, but “these processes generally lasted for a very limited time, from a few hours to half a day. In this case we have seven days of continuous activity, which is a distinctive feature of the current eruption.”
Behind the length of the eruption, Gambino believes there may be “magma rising from greater depth and richer in gas.”
The eruption is affecting several sectors of the volcano at the same time. At the Voragine crater, activity and lava fountains are ongoing, accompanied by a steady emission of ash, while in the Valle del Bove several vents are feeding a lava field. For now, Gambino stresses, the flows do not pose a danger to inhabited areas.
The ash cloud is instead causing the greatest disruption. Southerly winds have pushed it towards Catania airport and even beyond Sicily.
“The biggest problem at the moment is mainly linked to the continuous plume coming from the Voragine. This plume is clearly a cloud that is dispersed in the atmosphere and in recent days the wind has been blowing towards the south, which has complicated matters, in the sense that this cloud is being pushed towards the airport area and causing disruption,” the director explained.
The minister for Civil Protection and Sea Policies, Nello Musumeci, stressed on Wednesday that “it is not the volcano that is out of place, but the airport,” whose proximity to Etna makes Catania airport particularly vulnerable to eruptions.
An increasingly crowded Etna
The eruption has drawn an exceptional number of people to Etna, creating traffic and disorder along the roads and paths leading to the spots from which volcanic activity can be observed.
“There are too many people and too many cars parked in a chaotic way,” Cristian Alessi, a nature guide with EtnaWay, told Euronews. To describe the crowds on the volcano, Alessi compares them to the busiest resorts and roads in the area: “It feels like being in Taormina or Catania on a Saturday.”
The crowds are also pushing towards the points closest to the lava flows. Alessi says he has seen people on the rim of the Valle del Bove, “on that very unstable slope,” just a short distance from the area affected by volcanic activity.
“It is wonderful to see, but it has to be done safely, with guides.”
The Alpine Rescue service has in turn urged caution after several call-outs on Etna during the current eruption.
How to visit Etna safely?
According to Gambino, it is vital to exercise particular caution during hikes on Etna, especially in the evening.
The director urged people to “go to areas where it is possible to watch without venturing too far” and to wear suitable clothing, including hiking boots and long trousers.
After sunset it is also important to carry a torch, as paths can become difficult to negotiate in the dark.
“The trails are rough, so it is not that hard to fall,” Gambino warned.