Mount Etna put on a dramatic—and dangerous—show Monday morning.
It unleashed a massive plume of ash, gas, and rock high into the Sicilian sky.
What triggered it? Experts believe a section of the volcano’s southeastern crater collapsed, setting off a chain reaction.
At 11:24 a.m. local time, surveillance cameras captured the moment the northern flank gave way.
“A pyroclastic flow probably produced by a collapse of material,” reported Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).
What Happened?
In simpler terms: a rush of volcanic rock, ash, and searing gas tore down the mountain—one of nature’s most lethal outbursts.
As if that weren’t intense enough, Etna shifted from rumbling to roaring, morphing into a full-on lava fountain.
The ash cloud soared 6.5 kilometers into the air, prompting a red alert for aviation.
Surprisingly, nearby Catania Airport remained open.
Though the ash is drifting southwest and starting to clear, the eruption reminds us why Etna is both a wonder and a threat.
After all, when a volcano speaks, the whole island listens.
