The volcano observatory in Catania (INGV) reported that the explosive activity at the volcano’s South East summit crater has been renewed last night.
Minor ash emissions have been rising from the crater, but from 01:30 local time today, volcanic tremor started to rise to average values.
The activity intensified about 13:30 local time, accompanied by a strongly rising signal of volcanic tremor, located at 2800 m elevation, indicating rapid magma flux towards the surface.
At 14:32 local time, a new lava started overflowing the SE crater rim and has been emerging on the west-southwest slopes.
Strombolian activity picked up and became stronger at the SE summit crater starting around 16:00 local time accompanied by periods of high amplitude tremor. The lava has continued to ooze out, kept the flow active and reached approx. 2900 m elevation.
At about 20:40 local time, a new lava-fountaining episode (classified as paroxysm) started at the SE summit crater producing a tall and dense ash and gas-rich plume that rose to estimated 10 km altitude drifting west.
The strong paroxysm episode followed a sharp peak in tremor.
The paroxysm activity culminated in (unusually, but common) three pumice-and-ash flows observed at 20:40, 21:19 and 21:26 local time traveling in the Valle del Bove direction. Pumice-and-ash flows are the result of column (or fountain) collapse.
After the maximum amplitude of a seismic signal at 21:00 local time, volcanic tremor started to decrease back to medium values.
The fountaining activity ended, although the eruption column continues to dissipate to 8000 m height towards the west.
The lava flow remains active and the front seems to have cooled at 2700 m elevation.
Source: Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia volcano activity update 10 February 2022
A small pyroclastic flow during the paroxysm episode tonight (source: Boris Behncke)
#Etna is not exactly famous for producing pyroclastic flows, though they are pretty common during her violent paroxysmal episodes. Here is a nice little one during the powerful paroxysm on the evening of 10 February 2022. pic.twitter.com/p1b5HxuKr0
— Boris Behncke (@etnaboris) February 10, 2022
Lava fountains at the SE crater today (source: Boris Behncke)
Activity at #Etna’s Southeast Crater has been increasing during the evening of 10 February 2022, and is now in a full paroxysmal phase, with lava fountains 500-600 m tall, lava flows to southwest and southeast, and an eruption column several kilometers high. pic.twitter.com/0dFHPYZAC5
— Boris Behncke (@etnaboris) February 10, 2022
