Mount Etna provided a spectacular night show on December 13 erupting in southeastern Sicily on its south slope. Europe's most active volcano has erupted for the first time this year, sending a tower of bright lava into the sky. According to news reports, this latest eruption was announced by explosions & ash emissions. The giant orange fountains of lava, spewing toward the sky, could be seen in the city of Catania. The crater produced lava fountains of up to 100 m high and a dense ash plume rose to an estimated 5 km high, according to the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center Toulouse. A magnitude 2.7 earthquake was recorded on the slopes of Etna before the blast but it's not known if it was linked. Etna erupts frequently because of its position between the African and Eurasian tectonic plates, as well as the fault between the African and Ionian microplate. Mount Etna, on the Italian island of Sicily, has been largely dormant for the past two years. Authorities have reported no danger to the nearby towns and there has been no disruption to air traffic. Its last major eruption was in 1992.
