Mt. Etna volcano eruption history timeline and data facts 2013— Mount Etna’s latest eruption late Saturday, for the 16th time this year, an active volcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy.
It lies above the convergent plate margin between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate. Mt Etna Europe’s largest volcano has been active and erupting frequently for the last half a million years, after it first erupted in 1500 B.C. It is the tallest active volcano on the European continent, currently 10,922 ft high.
Mt. Etna eruption history timeline In 2002, October 27, 13:04- Mount Etna began spewing thick clouds of ash and magma. The ash cloud could easily be seen from space, and it has been determined that the traces of ash may have traveled as far across the Mediterranean Sea, as Libya.
The seismic activity caused the eastern flanks of the volcano to slip by up to two meters and many houses on the flanks of the volcano experienced structural damage to buildings in the surrounding areas.
2002, October 27-31: Catania airport remained closed as a safety precaution.
2004, February, Seismology experts were dispatched to the village of Canneto di Caronia, Sicily following a series of a series of mysterious earth tremors.
2007, 4 September- a lava flow was seen flowing down the east side of the crater, whilst the volcano produced a plume of ash which fell over the eastern flank of the volcano.
2011, January 12-13: Following an increase in volcanic tremors, Mt. Etna’s volcanic activity increased, with lava overflowing from the eastern rim of the crater. Ash emissions were observed after the partial collapse of the cone of the volcano.
Etna’s most destructive eruption since 122 BC started on 11 March 1669 and produced lava flows that destroyed at least 10 villages on its southern flank before reaching the city walls of the town of Catania five weeks later, on 15 April.
Photo Credits: A volcanologist wearing a protective suit watches Etna erupt in 2000 /Jeremy Bishop
Lava spews from a crater of the giant Etna Volcano on the southern Italian island of Sicily, Jan. 6, 2012. Marcello Paternostro/AFP/Getty Images