Our last report on Etna covered activity through 31 December 2013 (BGVN 38:09) and described activity in terms of a series of paroxysms, including the emergence of a new South East Crater (NSEC; see figure 147 in BGVN 38:09).

This report covers subsequent activity from 1 January-13 June 2014 and summarizes first-hand accounts by Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV-Catania). The key events of this reporting interval were ongoing emissions of E-directed lavas from a vent area on the lower E flank of the NSEC. That same vent area at NSEC generated an unusual, reddish, ground-hugging cloud associated with a landslide on 11 February. It left a swath of pyroclastic deposits mapped for over 2 km.

A sketch map shows lava and pyroclastic emissions from October 2013 through February 2014 (figure 148). It thus gives an overview of Etna's products during the first part of this reporting interval (January through February 2014). Flows on figure 148 emitted during 2013 were discussed in the previous report (see map, figure 147, in BGVN 38:09). During January-February 2014 lava flows vented in an area on the NSEC's lower E flank. That same general area was the source of a landslide and pyroclastic deposits emplaced on 11 February 2014 (shaded in light tan with triangles or dots conveying coarser and finer deposits). The deposits were laid down by fast-moving, reddish, ground-hugging emissions.

Figure 148. Map of Etna's summit area highlighting volcanic deposition during the interval October 2013 through 11 February 2014. Lavas of October 2013-December 2014 are shown in pale green; lavas of 14-16 December 2013, in light blue; lavas of 29 December 2013, in blue; lavas of 22 January-February 2014, in red. The 11 February 2014 pyroclastic deposits (tan) as mapped here stretch ~2.3 km W from their source at a depression (inside the hachured red line) on the lower E side of NSEC. These pyroclastic deposits are mapped into two adjacent map units on the basis of grain size. Both the pyroclastic deposits and the lava flows descended the steep W headwall of the broad valley called Valle del Bove. The valley's headwall area extends to ~2-3 km to the SE of NSEC before the slope gradient drops and the slope starts to make the transition to the valley floor. Courtesy of INGV (Etna Cartographic Laboratory).

Figure 148 also shows the important vent on NSEC's E flank (red hachured circle). Abbreviations for other summit vents: (SEC (Southeast crater), BN (Boca Nuova), VOR (Voragine), NEC (North East crater), as similarly defined in previous Bulletin reports). These other vents issued little in the way of deposits as late as the end of February 2014 (based on the map) and INGV reporting did not disclose much in the way of other deposits either.

Activity during January 2014. INGV reported that during 31 December 2013-1 January 2014 lava flows from a vent located on the NSEC continued to travel toward the N part of the Valle de Bove; the lava flows had been active since activity resumed on 29 December 2013. A 1 January web camera photo near midday showed a dense black plume emerging from NSEC. By 3 January 2014 the lava effusions stopped. Meanwhile at NEC during 4-13 January 2014 this vent released pulsating and almost continuous reddish ash emissions. Tremor remained at low amplitude into at least late January.

On the evening of 21 January after ~20 days absence (since an increase seen during 29-31 December 2013), strombolian emissions returned at NSEC. These emissions were weak. Sparse ash also discharged, barely rising over NSEC's rim.

Late on 22 January a small lava flow emerged from the vent on NSEC's upper E flank advancing over a few hundred meters in a few hours. This was the start of the lava flow shown in red on figure 148. Strombolian explosions ejected glowing pyroclasts onto NSEC's flanks. The explosions declined early on 23 January, and the lava flow stopped advancing. At 0105 that day a small puff emerging from the E base of the cone heralded the start of a new W-trending lava flow. On 26 January, strombolian emissions occurred and an ash plume drifted E. By evening the strombolian eruption declined in terms of both the amount of ash emitted and the eruptive intensity. The lava flow (red, figure 148) had by this time reached ~4 km long. Also, a new lava flow advanced on top of the earlier one.

Regarding NSEC, INGV reported that on 27-28 January it underwent a gradual but steady decrease of activity. Lava flows from two vents at the E base of the NSEC cone continued to effuse at a very low rate. Weather conditions almost entirely prevented visual and optical observations during early on 30 January until the evening of 3 February.

Activity during February 2014. Late on 3 February INGV noted a lava flow from one of the NSEC's vents along its E base remained active and had extended several hundred meters. Almost continuous ash emissions from NSEC began at about 1300 on 4 February and continued into the night; about 5-10 ash puffs were separated by steam emissions. Ash plumes drifted E. After sunset, jets of hot material were observed rising 100 m above the crater rim. At 2000 the ash emissions and injection of incandescent material ceased, but the lava flow continued and reached 1 km long. Into 5 February, lava escaped from one or two vents at the NSEC cone's E margin. Lava flows advanced several kilometers to the base of the Valle del Bove's W slope. On 6 February ash emissions ceased. Nevertheless, small Strombolian explosions ejected incandescent pyroclastic material 100 m above the crater. On 7 February Strombolian explosions ejected material onto the flanks of the NSEC; the next day ash puffs were observed.

INGV noted that the ongoing activity at NSEC that began 21 January 2014 represents a notable deviation from the behavior of the NSEC over the last three years. In the context of the last few decades of Etna activity, they viewed this as a completely normal eruptive occurrence. It is similar to emissive activity from January to March 2001 on the N flank of the old SEC, and other episodes of long duration observed in the past.

During 9-10, February activity continued to be characterized by Strombolian activity, periodic ash emissions, and advancing lava flows. On 9 February venting shifted to NSEC's W portion and included ash emissions. On 10 February at least one new eruptive vent opened upslope of the vents feeding the active flows.

At 0707 on 11 February a large, dense, reddish-brown ash cloud discharged from a lower E-flank vent area at NSEC (figure 149). Rather than rising much distance, the ash-charged cloud moved rapidly downslope. The cloud consisted of a dense hot avalanche or landslide that INGV also said looked very much like a pyroclastic flow. The ash laden cloud took about a minute to reach the base of the W wall of the Valle del Bove only stopping after it encountered less steep terrain. After this event, reddish brown ash emissions continued. The mapped portions of the 11 February pyroclastic deposits are shown on figure 148, but the ash cloud itself continued farther downslope (figure 149).

Figure 149. The reddish ash cloud generated the morning of 11 February 2014 associated with a landslide and related eruption in the active vent area on the NSEC's E flank (upper left). This is a view from ~11 km E of NSEC (at Sant'Alfio, located on the Valle del Bove floor ~5.5 km from the closest point to the coast). Photo taken from INGV reporting on the 11 February event. They credit the photo to Casa di paglia Felcerossa-Permacultura.

Prior to the 11 February 2014 eruption, the area of collapse at the NSEC vent had contained unstable heated rock. In the past weeks, multiple vents in this area had been active. One vent near the E rim of the vent area was hot enough to glow. The presence of molten rock (e.g., magma and lava), hot gases, and the glowing vent were interpreted by INGV to have contributed to destabilizing the area that failed during the eruption.

Although the mapped area is smaller, the reddish cloud of 11 February expanded as it advanced over the lava field of 2008-2009, covering it almost entirely, and reaching the Valle del Bove with a front about 1 km wide. Shortly after reaching the level ground at the base of the W wall of the Valle del Bove, the flow stopped in an area about 3.5-4 km away from source vent. A cloud of ash rose up and drifted NE.

Lava flows also continued to erupt on 11 February. Those were associated with bluish clouds. During and after the 11 February event, the NSEC still generated persistent strombolian eruptions accompanied by small ash emissions. At 1800 on February 11 this was in progress, showing no change compared to the activity of the last days. During 11-12 February the amplitude of tremor remained slightly higher than normal but it dropped back to normal levels after that, and the average amplitudes generally remained at modest levels through mid-March.

NSEC's strombolian emissions slightly intensified on 12 February. An unstable part of the lower E flank of the vent that collapsed on 11 February continued to produce small collapses and reddish ash clouds. Lava continued to flow from the cone towards the Valle del Bove, and by nightfall had reached the base of the steep W wall of the valley. It then advanced on the flat land to the N of Mount Centenari (figure 148).

Strombolian activity continued during 12-28 February. Lava emissions declined, but produced lava flows a few hundred meters long. Lava emissions continued also from an effusive vent from the interior of the portion of the recess formed 11 February, which continued through 17 February. On 15 February an explosion generated a vapor-and-ash plume, and was then followed by more explosions from the same area. Later on 15 February a small lava flow emerged from a new vent at the N base of the NSEC cone, which traveled 100 m towards the W wall of the Valle del Bove, and remained active the next day. During 16-17 February strombolian activity continued to produce small quantities of ash. Lava continued to flow from the vent at the base of the cone.

Activity during March 2014. During 1-10 March generally weak though persistent strombolian activity and diffuse ash emissions continued at NSEC. Tremor was generally low. An unstable part of the lower E flank of the cone that collapsed on 11 February (figure 150) continued to produce small collapses with reddish ash clouds, and thermal anomalies. Lava continued to flow from a vent on the lower part of the NSEC cone to the W wall of the Valle del Bove, and during 2-3 March the flows reached the base of the wall (figure 150).

Figure 150. Glowing Etna lava flows seen from the SE on the evening of 3 March 2014. The flows continued to vent from the lower flank of the NSEC cone. The vent was in the same area associated with the collapse of 11 February 2014. Photo credit Turi Caggegi.

After several days of lava emissions from a vent on the lower part of the NSEC cone, during 5-6 March lava flows originated only from a higher vent and traveled 1.5 km towards the lower part of the W wall of the Valle del Bove. The lava flow fed by the vent on the inside of the unstable lower portion of the lower E flank remained active on 5 March. A second flow was fed a few hundred meters downslope , with an active front on the upper margin of the 2008-2009 lava field (directly to the NE, in the direction of Monte Simone and following the lava flow of 30-31 December 2013). On 8 March BN (Bocca Nuova) issued sporadic emissions of hot material with small amounts of volcanic ash.

INGV reported that during 12-25 March strombolian activity with occasional diffuse ash emissions continued from one or two vents at the base of Etna's NSEC cone. Lava flows originating from a vent on the upper wall traveled towards the upper part of the W wall of the Valle del Bove. Strombolian activity intensified during 18-22 March, producing more ash, and then decreased; no ash was emitted on 23 March. Lava flows originating from a vent on the upper wall traveled towards the upper part of the W wall of the Valle del Bove and also NE in the direction of Monte Simone. Tremor amplitude rose slightly on 24 March but declined on 26 March to low values similar to those seen prior to the episode of persistent NSEC eruptions that began on 21 January.

Strombolian activity at the NSEC cone ceased during the night of 26-27 March, after 64 days of persistent activity. Lava emissions from the lower side of the NSEC significantly decreased; on the evening of 28 March a small lava flow continued to advance but had stopped and was cooling the next day.

Activity during April 2014. During the night of 1-2 April emissions of minor lava flows from the NE base at NSEC cone decreased. Strombolian activity gradually intensified during the evening of 2 April, along with tremor, and then both decreased. Some collapses from the E flank of the NSEC cone took place that morning. Poor weather conditions prevented views of Etna for a few days, but by 7 April the lava flows had ceased and strombolian activity had sharply declined. No activity was observed on 8 April.

No eruptive activity at Etna was observed thereafter until the early hours of 22 April, when sporadic and weak strombolian activity resumed at the NSEC and continued for the next few days. Some explosions ejected incandescent pyroclastic material out of the crater and onto the upper S and SE flanks of the cone. A few small collapses occurred on the cone's unstable E flank. Late in the evening on 30 April the frequency and intensity of Strombolian explosions slightly increased. Degassing at the NEC also increased and thermal anomalies were detected by a camera.

Activity during May-13 June 2014. During the night of 2-3 May INGV attributed incandescence to weak, high-temperature gas emissions or strombolian explosions or both. The activity intensified on 4 May; some of the explosions ejected incandescent pyroclastic material high onto NSEC's S and SE flanks. Although tremor amplitude generally remained at low levels since early April; tremor on 1 May registered in episodes (banded tremor). Weak strombolian activity at NSEC continued through at least 10 June and no noteworthy eruptions were highlighted through 13 June.

Geological Summary. Mount Etna, towering above Catania on the island of Sicily, has one of the world's longest documented records of volcanism, dating back to 1500 BCE. Historical lava flows of basaltic composition cover much of the surface of this massive volcano, whose edifice is the highest and most voluminous in Italy. The Mongibello stratovolcano, truncated by several small calderas, was constructed during the late Pleistocene and Holocene over an older shield volcano. The most prominent morphological feature of Etna is the Valle del Bove, a 5 x 10 km caldera open to the east. Two styles of eruptive activity typically occur, sometimes simultaneously. Persistent explosive eruptions, sometimes with minor lava emissions, take place from one or more summit craters. Flank vents, typically with higher effusion rates, are less frequently active and originate from fissures that open progressively downward from near the summit (usually accompanied by Strombolian eruptions at the upper end). Cinder cones are commonly constructed over the vents of lower-flank lava flows. Lava flows extend to the foot of the volcano on all sides and have reached the sea over a broad area on the SE flank.

Information Contacts: Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), Sezione di Catania, Piazza Roma 2, 95123 Catania, Italy (URL: http://www.ct.ingv.it).