Mt. Etna Eruption

July 25, 2001

Sicily_a2001203_0953

Provided by: Earth Observatory, NASA GSFC
Summary author: Jim Foster

Mt. Etna, on the island of Sicily in Italy, is now erupting. NASA’s Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite captured this true-color image of the volcano on July 22, 2001. Mt. Etna is Europe's biggest active volcano, and it last erupted in 1993. The current eruption is threatening two cities near Mt. Etna's base, which may soon have to be evacuated. However, residents living near the flanks of Mt. Etna have a long history of dealing with its sometimes dour disposition. Within the last two weeks, several vents have been opened, which are releasing a plume of ash and dust that can be seen on the above image stretching southeastward over the Mediterranean Sea. The red box overlaid on the image shows where MODIS has detected heat escaping from Mt. Etna. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team.

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