Overall Green alert Volcanic eruption for Etna
in Italy

Event summary

GREEN alert: The Etna Volcanic eruption is unlikely to require external humanitarian assistance based on the exposed population and coping capacity.

GDACS ID VO 1000000
Name: Etna
Lat/Lon: 37.748 , 14.999
Event Date: 21 Feb 2022 UTC
Exposed Population 30km: About 940000 people within 30km
Exposed Population 100km: About 2750000 people within 100km
Max Volc. Explosivity Index VEI: 5
Population Exposure Index PEI: 5
Inserted at: 21 Dec 2020 15:26 UTC

GDACS Score

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Virtual OSOCC
Meteo assessment
Satellite products
Analytical products
Italy - Volcanic eruption (ECHO 17 Feb 2021)Wed, 17 Feb 2021 10:35

  • There was an increase in activity of Mount Etna volcano on 16 February. This new paroxysmal phase is characterised by explosive activity. The ash column rose a few kilometres above the volcano, moved southward and fell over Catania and parts of Siracusa Province.  
  • According to media reports, the international airport of Catania has been temporarily closed due to the ash column.
  • According to the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC), the aviation colour code has been lowered from red to orange due to the decrease in the explosive activity over the past few hours.
Italy - Volcanic eruption (ECHO 02 Apr 2021)Fri, 02 Apr 2021 16:14

  • A new paroxysmal event of Mount Etna volcano has been reported on 31 March at 23.00 UTC. This phase was characterised by explosive activity at the Southeast Crater that has gradually switched to a lava fountain. The ash column rose up to 9 km above sea level and moved south-southwestward.
  • As of 1 April at 21.37 UTC, the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) recorded lava flows started at the eastern edge of the Southeast Crater expanding in the upper part of the Valle del Bove.
  • According to media reports, the international airport of Catania was temporarily closed on 1 April due to the ash column.
  • The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC), has lowered the aviation colour code from red to orange due to the decrease in the explosive activity over the past few hours.
Detailed event map. European Union, 2024. Map produced by EC-JRC.
The boundaries and the names shown on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the European Union.

Updates on volcanic activity (Smithsonian)

The Smithsonian/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report provides information about global volcanism on a weekly basis. Latest Etna report has been published on 16 Dec 2020 07:09.
INGV reported that during 7-12 December activity at Etna was similar to the previous week, characterized by intra-crater Strombolian activity at Northeast Crater (NEC), and Strombolian activity, lava effusion, and pyroclastic flows at the Southeast Crater (SEC). Additionally, infrequent ash emissions at the Bocca Nuova (BN) craters and some explosions and minor ash emissions at the Voragine (VOR) were also recorded. Webcam views of activity was limited due to weather conditions; a field visit was made on 14 December. Strombolian activity originated from the E and central vents at SEC ejected lava onto the inner crater walls. Occasional ash emissions dispersed quickly near the summit. Activity intensified at 2020 on 13 December and lava fountains formed around 2300. Collapses of the SW part of the SEC cone spurred a series of pyroclastic flows. At 2315 a small pyroclastic flow traveled down the SSW flank. A second pyroclastic flow began at 2316 and traveled 2 km down the SSW flank and covered Monte Frumento Supino cone (SSW). At 2330 a third and minor pyroclastic flow traveled SSW. Around the same time as the generation of the first two pyroclastic flows, two fissures opened on the SW flank of the SEC and produced lava flows to the S and SW until about 2350. A period of lava fountaining was visible during 0050-0110 and 0210-0223 on 14 December. During a field inspection on 14 December scientists confirmed the partial cone collapses and noted that the two lava flows (S and SW) were cooling. The S lava flow had widened at the near the base of SEC and formed four lobes. One of the lobes continued on and stopped just NW of cones that had formed in 2002-2003. The SW flow traveled SSW, branched, curved around the W part of Monte Frumento Supino, and then stopped. Explosive activity from central SEC vent continued, with roaring and sporadic ash emissions. An explosion at 1352 formed an ash plume that rose about 4 km and drifted S. Strombolian explosions deposited material outside of the crater. Source: Sezione di Catania - Osservatorio Etneo (INGV)
See the detail here

Latest media headlines

Articles: 1492 | About casualties: 1 | Last hour: 0

cronaca 23-02-2022 Eruzione Etna, la lava vista da vicino2022-02-24T00:03+0100.

Le immagini girate a un passo dalla colata lavica scesa in concomitanza al nuovo intenso parossismo dal cratere di Sud Est dell'Etna. Grandi massi incandescenti di lava rotolano a valle. La colata � apparsa ben alimentata, forse complice an
...(more)
Video Meteo Cronaca Diretta: Etna, a un passo dalla Colata di lava, ma ... 2022-02-23T17:56+0100.

Impressionanti le immagini girate a un passo dalla colata lavica scesa in concomitanza al nuovo intenso parossismo dal cratere di Sud Est dell' Etna . Grandi macigni incandescenti di lava rotolano a valle. La colata è apparsa ben alimentata
...(more)
14:28 | SPECTACLE Les images saisissantes de l'Etna en éruption2022-02-23T15:11+0100.

Les images sont impressionnantes. Ce lundi, l’Etna est entré en éruption ce lundi , pour la deuxième fois en 2022. Nuages de fumée et de cendres, coulées de lave Habitants et experts ont partagé des vidéos époustouflantes du réveil volcan S
...(more)
Dallo spazio ci arrivano le più belle foto dell'eruzione vulcanica del ... 2022-02-23T11:30+0100.

Tutti gli articoli su Dallo spazio ci arrivano le....

Estimated casualties (PAGER)

USGS estimates the number of casualties for each earthquake for the Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER) product.
The graph shows the current fatalities estimate.

Exposed population

Data, images, links, services and documents

For this events, GDACS has links to information from the following sources: EC-JRC (32), (2), INGV (3), WMO (1), INFORM (2),