Mount Etna opens new effusive vent as volcanic ash restricts Catania flights

New effusive vent and aviation alert

Mount Etna entered a renewed phase of volcanic activity on Monday morning, opening a new effusive vent in the Valle del Bove. Video surveillance cameras recorded the fracture at approximately 06:00 at an altitude between 2,200 and 2,350 metres, producing an active lava flow. The Voragine crater, situated at 3,000 metres above sea level, simultaneously discharged a continuous column of volcanic ash that dispersed south-east toward coastal communities. In response to atmospheric ash clouds, monitoring authorities issued a red Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation (VONA), representing the highest hazard rating for air traffic controllers. Field personnel from the Etna Observatory of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) initiated on-site surveys across the mountain slopes. Slant cameras positioned along the volcano flanks captured dust vortices rising from the ground alongside the main eruptive plume.

Seismic patterns and lava trajectories

Seismic instruments recorded a sharp escalation in volcanic tremor beginning on Sunday afternoon, culminating in a peak amplitude at 19:40 on 16 August. The tremor amplitude subsequently experienced weak oscillations while remaining within the high-value bracket. INGV calculations located the tremor source centroids directly beneath the Voragine crater at an elevation of approximately 3,000 metres above sea level. Infrasonic acoustic measurements fluctuated within low and medium ranges, originating predominantly from Voragine with minor secondary pulses at the Northeast Crater. In the Valle del Bove, lava flows persisted from upper vents situated at altitudes of 2,750 metres and 1,990 metres. The lowest active lava front advanced to an elevation of 1,395 metres, moving into the sector between Rocca delle Palombe and Rocca Musarra.

Flight restrictions at Catania Fontanarossa

Dispersal of the high-altitude ash cloud caused immediate operational constraints at Catania Vincenzo Bellini Airport. Airport operator SAC initially shut airspace sectors B1 and B2, capping inbound traffic at five aircraft per hour until 14:00 on Monday. A subsequent revision by SAC extended the closure of sector B1 until 12:00 on Tuesday, 18 August, while easing the arrival cap to ten aircraft per hour. Departures operated without frequency limits throughout the disruption, though operator notices instructed travellers to check flight statuses before departing for the terminal. The restrictions reversed a brief recovery on Saturday, when the aviation alert was lowered from red to orange, prompting airport management to anticipate normal scheduling.

The restoration of flight operations at Catania airport represents an important step towards a return to normality after particularly complex days for our city.

Ashfall across Catania province

Wind-driven ash fallout affected urban infrastructure across the south-eastern slopes of the volcano throughout the day. Municipalities including Valverde, Viagrande, San Gregorio, and San Giovanni la Punta reported several centimetres of black volcanic sand accumulating on road surfaces and vehicles. Commercial shopkeepers in multiple Catania province centres used brooms to clear ash piles from storefronts and walkways. Sicily's regional civil protection department published visual logs from its operational headquarters in San Giovanni la Punta, documenting continuous dark ash precipitation over the area. Urban sectors inside Catania municipal boundaries also experienced ash deposition, covering parked transport and darkening road networks.