INGV reported that during 23-29 May activity at Etna’s Southeast Crater (SEC) was characterized by intermittent Strombolian activity and occasional ash emissions. At 0805 on 29 May a fissure opened in the upper part of the Valle del Bove. Two vents along the fissure, located at 2,850 and 2,730 m elevation, produced slow-moving lava flows that had advanced E to 2,090 m elevation by the next day. During an aerial survey conducted on 30 May scientists observed a series of about four arc-shaped fractures on the E flank of SEC, between 3,000 and 3,200 m elevation, and unstable and slumped material which had moved downslope.

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.

Source: Sezione di Catania - Osservatorio Etneo (INGV)