Red hot lava flowed down and smoke billowed from Mount Etna on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, in a stunning display last week. Italian authorities issued a “yellow” alert after red-hot lava spewed at night from Mount Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe, Reuters reported.
Footage shared by Reuters on Twitter shows lava and plumes of smoke billowing into the night sky. The lava can be seen flowing down Mount Etna, rendering an amazing display.
“Europe’s tallest active volcano, Mount Etna, put on a stunning display May 20, 2022, with hot lava and plumes of smoke spewing meters up into the sky and red lava flowing down the mountain, heading for the ‘Lion Valley’,” read the caption of the clip.
Watch the video here:
Mount Etna put on a stunning display with lava and smoke spewing into the sunset sky and flowing down the mountain during the night pic.twitter.com/ZSSDg7EPMd
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 21, 2022
Mount Etna erupts as seen from Fornazzo, Italy. More photos of the day: https://t.co/E239AiwBQ1 📷 Antonio Parrinello pic.twitter.com/DLa4nrxu2H
— Reuters Pictures (@reuterspictures) May 20, 2022
Netizens were amazed to watch red-hot lava flowing down Mount Etna at night.
Queen Etna. Absolutely amazing ! The Sicilians call her Mamma Etna https://t.co/Xus1tsUcBP
— ANiA (@Pati17683370) May 21, 2022
Fantastic Italy
— nicola de muro (@nicdemuro) May 21, 2022
Eruption on Mount Etna gives the illusion of a Phoenix in the sky pic.twitter.com/SBxtwzX1rj
— Space_Hub (@SpaceHub_SL) May 23, 2022
Mount Etna last night 🌋pic.twitter.com/Q1H9gHSw1f
— Wanted in Rome (@wantedinrome) May 18, 2022
gn from the active Mount Etna volcano 🌋❤️ 💫
Hands down the most incredible thing that I have ever seen. pic.twitter.com/bnYVY2GtrY
— Parin Heidari ✍🏻 (@ParinHeidari) May 23, 2022
WHEN ETNA MAKES A SPECTACLE.
We are used to seeing spectacular views of Mount Etna, but when a good photographer catches an outbreak of Mount Etna, you are fascinated by its beauty. This is such a beautiful image that it seems impossible.
Photo: Fernando Famiani pic.twitter.com/fSMnhZwinm— Free AstroScience (@astronomy_free) May 20, 2022
The almost 11,000-foot-high Mount Etna had last erupted in February this year. After the powerful eruption, bolts of volcanic lightning were seen in the sky over eastern Sicily. Videos showed the night sky lit up with explosions and bright red molten lava.
It is one of the most active volcanoes in Europe and bolts of volcanic lightning were witnessed last year and 2015, Boris Behnke, volcanologist was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
According to space.com, volcanic plumes can reach great heights and can be detrimental to the human respiratory system and can trigger asthma.
Mount Etna, which grew by 100 feet last year, is believed to be a submarine volcano that emerged above sea level from solidified lava following several eruptions, space.com cited Nasa’s Earth Observatory as saying. Lava flowing over the mountain’s surface dates back to as far back as 300,000 years ago.
