Weak Strombolian activity on 5 December 1985 from Bocca Nuova, one of two active vents in the Central Crater, is typical of persistent summit activity at Etna. Fresh black lava flows cover the floor of the crater. Both Bocca Nuova and the E vent, La Voragine, frequently eject scoria and molten lava bombs that commonly do not reach above the height of the roughly 100-m-high crater. Occasional periods of high lava fountaining and ash ejection also occur.

Photo by Romolo Romano, 1985 (IIV-CNR, Catania, Italy).

This image is made available under the Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0 license terms.

Keywords: crater | vent | volcanic gas | plume | lava | eruption

Etna