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Summit of Mt. Etna, 1971. Photograph copyrighted by Robert Decker.
Background
Etna (location: 37.7N, 15.0E) is a 10,791 foot (3,290 m) tall
stratovolcano on the northeastern edge of Sicily. It certainly deserves
to be on a list of famous volcanoes because it has the longest documented
record of volcanism in the world, erupts frequently, and is the largest
volcano in Europe. Etna probably does not belong on a list of great
(individual) volcanic eruptions. In mythology, Etna was identified as the
location of the forge of Volcan, home of the Cyclopses, and where the
giant Enceladus laid (eruptions being his breath and earthquakes his
motion). Etna has erupted nearly 160 times since the first recorded
eruption in 1500 B.C. Most eruptions consist of lava flows. Small to
moderate explosive eruptions occur near the summit less often. Etna is
not known for any eruptions that caused great loss of life. Known violent
eruptions occurred in 1169, 1669, 1752-1754, 1893-1899, 1917, 1940, and
1945. Known fatal eruptions occurred in 141 B.C., 1329 A.D., 1536 A.D.,
1832 A.D., 1843 A.D., 1928 A.D., 1979 A.D., and 1987 A.D. I could not
find information on the number and cause of fatalities during most of
these eruptions. Nine people were killed and 23 were injured (150 tourist
were in the area) on September 12, 1979, by a 30-second explosion that
threw large blocks near the crater rim. Blocks 10 inches (25 cm) in
diameter fell 1,300 feet (400 m) away. Two people were killed and 7
others injured by falling volcanic material 1,600 feet (500 m) from the
crater in the 1987 phreatic eruption.
Sources of information:
Imbo, G., 1965, Catalogue of the active volcanoes of the world including
solfatara fields, Part XVIII Italy: International Association of
Volcanology, Rome, Italy, 72 p.
McClelland, L., Simkin, T., Summers, M., Nielson, E., Stein, T.C., 1989, Global volcanism 1975-1985: Prentice Hall,Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and American Geophysical Union, Washington DC, 655 p.
SEAN Bulletin, 1987, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., v. 12, no. 4, p. 2-3.
Simkin, T., and Siebert, L., 1994, Volcanoes of the world: Geoscience Press, Tucson, Arizona, 349 p.
Eruption mechanism
The general accept explanation for volcanism at Mt. Etna, Vulcano, and
Stromboli is the subduction of part of the northward-moving African Plate
beneath the Eurasian Plate. Subduction may be in a late stage of
evolution or may have ceased. Mt. Etna is unusual because it is adjacent
to but just outside of the subduction zone. It has been suggested that
material associated with the subduction zone migrates into the
lithosphere adjacent to the Aeolian arc. Lava from Etna shares a few
chemical similarities to hot spot volcanoes. However, these may result
from modification at the source or during ascent of the magma.
Source of information:
Cristofolini and others, 1987, Bulletin of Volcanology, v. 49, p. 599-607.
Steve Mattox
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