Mount Etna

Mount Etna: Recently, Sicily’s iconic Mount Etna erupted dramatically, releasing a massive plume of smoke and ash soaring several kilometers into the sky.

• About Mount Etna : Located on Sicily’s east coast in Italy.

o An active stratovolcano with a classic cone shape formed by layers of lava, ash, and volcanic rock.

o Europe’s tallest active volcano, rising about 3,329 meters (10,922 feet) above sea level.

o One of the world’s most active volcanoes, with eruptions recorded since around 1500 BCE.

o Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013 for its geological importance and natural beauty.

o Features five main craters and multiple vents on its slopes that fuel eruptions.

• About Stratovolcano: Also known as composite volcanoes, they are tall, steep, & cone-shaped.

o Built from alternating layers of lava and ash.

o Contain viscous magma with trapped gases, leading to explosive eruptions.

o Commonly found at tectonic plate boundaries, where oceanic plates subduct beneath continental plates.

o Magma rises through cracks caused by subduction, resulting in eruptions.

o Make up about 60% of the world's individual volcanoes and around 85% are located along the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire."