In Italy, Mount Etna, the largest of the three active in the country, began to erupt. No evacuations were announced due to the activity. In 2017, an eruption injured ten people.

The volcanic eruption began on the island of Sicily on Monday, December 24. It was triggered by a small earthquake. The volcano threw a huge column of ash and dust into the sky. But the situation is not dangerous; all tourists have been evacuated from the nearest area.

Eruption of Mount Etna in Italy - consequences and victims

As RIA-Novosti reports, seismologists have recorded more than 150 tremors in the area of ​​the famous volcano on the east coast of the Italian island of Sicily, near the city of Catania. The most powerful of them, with a magnitude of 4.0, occurred at 20:26 (22:26 Moscow time) on Monday. The epicenter of the earthquake was at a depth of about two kilometers, just seven kilometers from the municipality of Ragalna.

According to volcanologists, a new crack has formed on the southeastern slope of the volcano, from which a black cloud of ash has risen. Because of this, the authorities suspended the operation of Fontanarossa International Airport and train traffic on the Messina-Catania-Syracuse route for several hours.

In addition, volcanic ash has covered many cities and villages in Catania, and utility workers are promptly cleaning the streets and squares there.

According to experts, there is no cause for concern, since this eruption does not pose a threat to either people or material objects.

Etna is the highest active volcano Europe, in June 2013 it was listed as a World Heritage UNESCO.

Authorities have closed the airport in Sicily

Smoke and huge amounts of ash began to emerge from Europe's tallest and most active volcano. Due to the eruption, operations at the airport in Catania had to be suspended.

There is no information about casualties yet. Mount Etna, which reaches 3 thousand 300 meters in height, can emit ash, smoke and dust several times a year.

The last time a powerful eruption occurred was in 1992.

Geologists claim that Mount Etna is a large geyser

Sicily's famous Mount Etna may be a giant geyser rather than a volcano, according to unusual evidence large number steam and other volatiles in its emissions, the scientist said in an article published in the journal Earth-Science Reviews.

“This volcano is similar in its operating principles to a giant geyser or, in a sense, to an exhaust pipe. The role of this pipe is narrow system“lava pipelines” through which millions of tons rise to the surface of the Earth hot water and gas. If it “clogs” with relatively dense lava, then the gas emissions stop and the volcano “spits out” this solid plug, and when it is cleared, it emits mainly gas and steam,” writes Carmelo Ferlito from the University of Catania (Italy). ).

Volcano Etna is one of the most restless geological objects on Earth - it almost constantly erupts lava, steam and shows other signs of activity, and its mouth never stands still and constantly changes its position. According to current scientists' estimates, its position has changed at least three times in the last 40 years, and every year Etna erupts several tens of millions of tons of lava.

Another unusual feature of the main mountain of Sicily is that it emits enormous quantities of dust, steam and various volatile substances into the atmosphere, the mass of which is today estimated at about 7 million tons. Most geologists believe that this is due to the special chemical composition of the magma in the depths of Etna and the unusual structure of its magma chamber.

Ferlito believes that there is a much simpler explanation for both of Etna's strange features - in fact, this mountain is not a real volcano, but a huge hot spring that pumps millions of tons of water and other volatile elements through itself, most of which leaves the volcano is not through the crater, but through numerous cracks on its slopes.

He was prompted to such a conclusion by oddities in chemical composition lava and emissions of Etna. As the researcher notes, lava samples from the depths of the mountain contain approximately 3.5% water, which is high, but not a record figure. On the other hand, the volcano itself releases about 1.5 times more water and other volatiles than basalt and other solid rocks, which is about 10 times more than theoretical calculations show.

Accordingly, if you believe such measurements, Etna’s “lava” should consist of 70% water, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and other volatile substances that are in an intermediate state between liquid and gas, and only 30% of its mass is solid rock.

Such an exotic composition of lava, as the scientist notes, is not typical for any other volcano, and therefore he had to practically calculate from scratch how its behavior changes as it rises to the surface of the Earth. These calculations showed that Etna is actually a geyser, the “clogging” of which leads to eruptions of basalt and other rocks.

When this lava rises to about 2-3 kilometers from the Earth's surface, the mixture of rocks and volatiles sharply separates and the gas rushes into the atmosphere, moving through cracks and the main vent of Etna. Heavy rocks begin to accumulate inside the “lava conduits” and after a while they block the movement of gas, which leads to a sharp increase in pressure in the bowels of the volcano.

At a certain point in time, the gas “knocks out” these rock plugs and pushes the lava to the surface, causing explosive eruptions that often occur on Etna. In a similar way, according to Ferlito, one can explain high level activity of the main volcano of Sicily, and the unusual composition of its emissions.

Photos and videos of the eruption of Mount Etna on December 24, 2018 hit the Internet

The dormant supervolcano Campi Flegrei is showing clear signs of awakening.

Campi Flegrei or Phlegrean fields is a large volcanic caldera in the Italian region of Campania, located on the western outskirts of the city of Naples.

Any of the volcanic calderas, such as Taupo ( New Zealand) or Toba (Indonesia) are potentially dangerous areas on the planet. But, if the above-mentioned giants appear in the media news, then little is known about Campi Flegrei.

Since 2009, scientists began to speak out about the likelihood of a new eruption. To protect people and not to be caught off guard by a sudden eruption, in 2015, Italian geologists successfully installed research equipment at great depths in the caldera, which they called the Campi Flegrei Deep Observatory (CFDO); By the way, for some reason this project was frozen in the 2000s. The analysis of incoming data on the state of the caldera is carried out by a volcanic observatory, which monitors.

Since 2012, experts have been observing the acceleration of soil uplift on the territory of the volcano, the increasing frequency of microearthquakes, as well as the increased ratio of magmatic and hydrothermal gases in emissions from local sources. Overall, the caldera soil has risen by 30 cm over the past 10 years.

According to a team of scientists supervised by a volcanologist from National Institute geophysics and volcanology of Italy Giovanni Chiodini, the rise of magma causes heating of hydrothermal rocks, which will ultimately lose their mechanical strength and cause the acceleration of eruptive processes towards critical conditions. A large amount of gases under pressure has accumulated under the volcano’s mouth, and it, in turn, is approaching an alarming level. And, as a result, vertical oscillations are already constantly occurring. French colleagues support D. Chiodini, who similarly study the behavior of the volcano, and say that its eruption could not only endanger half a million people living nearby, but also have catastrophic consequences for the whole of Europe, changing the entire continent beyond recognition.

"There is an urgent need for further study of the Phlegrean Fields, since a similar picture was observed before the eruptions of the other two dangerous volcanoes- Rabaul calderas in Papua New Guinea and Sierra Negra in the Galapagos Islands",- says the scientist.

Reference.
The area of ​​the caldera is about 100 km², which is divided into above-ground and underground parts. The latter is located under the Gulf of Pozzuoli. The land area is bordered by the shores of the bay, the coastal strip of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the northwestern outskirts of Naples. Within Campi Flegrei there are a large number of fumaroles (cracks and holes in the craters, on the slopes and at the foot of the volcano; they serve as sources of hot gases), more than 150 pools of seething mud, 24 craters and several cones. In November 2015, Campi Flegrei was included in the TOP 10 most dangerous volcanoes on the planet according to scientists from the University of Manchester (USA).

Understanding what is happening in the Italian Republic could be vital and will allow us to prepare for the consequences of a caldera awakening in the near future. No one can say for sure when the point of no return will occur. Therefore, the most important thing that we can all do together is to unite hereboth now and as soon as possible more people notify about . After all, only with an organized and cultural society can we overcome all climatic adversities!

Europe's tallest and most active volcano, Mount Etna, erupted today, sending a huge plume of ash into the sky and authorities closed Catania airport on Sicily's east coast.

About 130 small seismic vibrations occurred during the eruption and after the eruption, from 11:00 Minsk time. According to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology of Italy, maximum strength the push was 4 points on the Richter scale.

According to the information received, the height of the emissions produced by the volcano reaches more than 500 meters, the smoke has risen to 3 km, and the area of ​​lava distribution exceeds many thousands square meters. It should be noted that approximately once every 150 years an eruption destroys a village located dangerously close to the foot of Etna, but this fact does not stop the persistent Sicilians, and they fearlessly continue to inhabit the slopes of the volcano.

There is currently no information about casualties. The last major eruption of the 3,330-meter volcano occurred in 1992.

It should be noted that, despite the existing danger of harm to the property and health of residents living in the immediate vicinity of the volcano, representatives of the Italian authorities decided not to rush into evacuation and so far only warned Sicilians that they should be on alert.

Scientists from the Open University (UK) have found that Mount Etna in Sicily is not filled with magma: this reduces the likelihood of a serious eruption, but greatly increases the risk of collapses.

Etna “moves” into the sea at a high speed for such processes of several centimeters per year. Previously, scientists thought that the movement was caused by the pressure of magma in the volcano's trunk (on average, lava erupts from one of Etna's many craters every 3-5 months). But recent observations prove that the culprit is gravitational forces that act on the base of the volcano at a distance of 12 kilometers from the coast and a depth of 1.2 kilometers, notes Europulse.

To collect data, research unmanned submarines were regularly sent to the base of the volcano from April 2016 to July 2017. The data they collected showed that Etna's movements were unlike those that would be caused by tectonic activity. For example, scientists detected an eight-day period when the base of the volcano shifted by 4 centimeters, but no tremors were recorded.

This proves that the volcano is gradually losing activity and the likelihood of large eruptions is decreasing. But it’s too early for the residents of Sicily to rejoice: most likely, landslides on Etna will become more frequent, and they will be stronger than previously expected. Despite volcanic activity, people have always settled on the slopes of Etna; now they will have to adapt to a new type of disaster.

Satellite image of the Mount Vesuvius area on July 12, 2017.© CC0 Public Domain

In Italy, the Vesuvius volcano woke up two days ago. In Naples, located next to the volcano, some areas. Residents of five city districts and tourists had to literally flee for their lives. Among other things, the eruption led to forest fires on the slopes of the volcano.

Naples at night resembled images of hell in the paintings of medieval artists.

The danger is posed not only by the burning forest, but also by the volcano itself, which can at any moment flood the surrounding area with lava or cover large areas a layer of hot ash.

Posted by TIME (@time)

Jul 11 ​​2017 at 2:19 PDT

The picture is also frightening because the mafia or pyromaniacs are blamed for the spread of forest fires on the slopes of Vesuvius. Some media even reported that the fire was being spread by animals being set on fire.

Organized crime is allegedly spreading the flames in Vesuvius National Park to burn waste at illegal dump sites or prevent the construction of individual buildings in the area.

It is worth noting that while Vesuvius is not erupting, the smoke and fire around the volcano look like a real eruption.

World Fund wildlife(WWF) issued a special statement that thousands of people, animals and the territory itself nature reserve around the volcano are at risk. “The situation is extreme and emergency measures must be taken,” WWF said in a statement.

Italian firefighters after working in the area of ​​fires on the slopes of the volcano.

Painting by Karl Bryullov “The Last Day of Pompeii”.

In 79 AD, the eruption of Vesuvius destroyed three cities - Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabia. The harbinger of the eruption was strong earthquake, described in the Annals of Tacitus and the Letters of Pliny the Younger. The city of Pompeii is now an open-air museum.

13/07/2017 - 10:22

Possible eruption Vesuvius volcano caused a lot of panic online. Volcano Vesuvius has awakened after many years of hibernation and now terrifies not only the residents of Italy, but also many tourists. Now there are large forest fires in the area of ​​the volcano, some tourists have been evacuated.

Forest fires have been raging in the area of ​​Mount Vesuvius for several days. In connection with this fact, there are many rumors on the Internet that the volcano has awakened and will erupt very soon. However, this is far from the case. Vesuvius is "sleeping."

Today is day 8 of the fire. The volcano itself is no longer visible, everything is in smoke. Huge clouds of smoke continue to rise into the sky. It’s very scary to imagine what will remain after the smoke clears. It makes me angry to think that this was done by the people from the government themselves, in order to then suck money out of the budget for restoration work. The whole one burned national park, an irreparable loss for nature. #vesuvius #fire #natural disaster #vesuvioinfiamme #vesuvio #disastroambientale #incendio #chevergogna #ercolano #torredelgreco #napoli #boscotrecase #allarme #tragedia #fire #maivistaunacosadelgenere Posted by Masha Bogdanova (@mashabogdanova89) Jul 12 2017 at 7:1 0 PDT

#vesuvioinfiamme #vesuvio #emergenza #incendio #incendiovesuvio #macomesifa #tragedia #disastroambientale #fire #vesuvius Posted by Masha Bogdanova (@mashabogdanova89) Jul 11 ​​2017 at 2:58 PDT

When you watch the news and think that this will never affect you. And then you become a witness to a terrible disaster: it all started a week ago with a thin stream of smoke in the morning. By evening it was already a huge fire, planes and helicopters were trying to put it out. Today the entire Vesuvius National Park is on fire, some of the fires have reached a size of 2 km!!! People are fleeing from there in panic, leaving homes, hotels and restaurants. It is clear that this is arson. But no one will prove anything. #incendio #incendiosulvesuvio #incendiovesuvio #vesuvioinfiamme #vesuvio #ercolano #torredelgreco #napoli #campania #ig_italia #instamoment #tragedia #tragedy #natural disaster #instaworld #fire #vesuviusonfire #italy #italia #suditalia #prayforvesuvius #pregapervesuvio #disastro #disastro ambientale Posted by Masha Bogdanova (@mashabogdanova89) Jul 11 ​​2017 at 7:16 PDT

Yes, there really are forest fires in the Vesuvius area, and especially in national park located next to it. More than 100 hectares of forest are burning there. Plumes of smoke have been hanging over the volcano for more than one day, which ultimately became the reason for rumors that Vesuvius has woken up.

Posted by Sharing_Daily_Inspiration (@altovolume_voice) Jul 12, 2017 at 9:43 am PDT

Most dangerous situation with fires now at the foot of Vesuvius and in the suburbs of Catania and Messina. Fires are observed in the region of Umbria, Lazio, Ambruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria and Sicily. The main cause of fires is heat. Photos and videos from the site of the alleged eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the summer of 2017 filled the network.

Posted by Paolo (@10paolo) Jul 12, 2017 at 9:18 am PDT

Posted by Ruslan Olkhovatsky (@ruslan_olkhovatsky) Jul 11, 2017 at 1:38 PDT

Posted by E guardo il mondo (@eguardoilmondo) Jul 12, 2017 at 9:55 am PDT

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