The beauty of nature never fails to amaze, and it always has a way of surprising people with its endless mesmerizing possibilities. Recently, it was discovered that the tallest active volcanic mountain in Europe has grown even taller than before. The mountain is Mount Etna, and the activity has been there for the past 6 months in its southern crater. According to INGV, the National Institute for Geophysics and Vulcanology, it has reached 3,357 meters (11,000 feet) above sea level.
The southern crater has beaten the northern crater of the mountain which has been the highest peak of the range for the past 40 years. Ever since the middle of the month of February, there have been 50 occurrences of ash and lava coming out of the volcanic mountain. This is the reason that the mountain has grown taller.
Regula observations were made from satellite and the images are also obtained with the help of a satellite. These images were used to gauge the size and dimensions of the mountain as well. Etna’s northeastern crater has reached the height of 3,350 meters in 1981. However, in 2018, it was recorded that the mountain’s height had been reduced to 3,326 meters, after a collapse in the edges of the structure.
Since February, the crater has been giving out ash and smoke. It has even posed a minor threat to the villages located nearby. The government of Sicily has speculated that around 300,000 metric tons of ash have been cleaned in July.
The ash has affected the crops, slowed down the flow of traffic, and caused pollution in the streets. Catania is a place that is 2 hours away from the volcanic mountain. It was stated by the residents that Etna is beautiful but an annoyance as the ash sometimes falls like rain. Nevertheless, the sight at night is breathtaking.