Etna

Like Vesuvius, the volcano is valid for many thousands of years and is experiencing only a slight movement of its axis. But every visitor Etna sharply evident and its difference from Vesuvius: the principal crater it recently does not emit lava and emits only a couple of volcanic bombs and volcanic ash. Approaches to the mountain top, the powerful mass of lava putting enormous pressure on the lateral side, as a result of this in different places, inrgda above, sometimes below, there are cracks in which the lava poured out first, without reaching the summit. At the site of the secondary cracks are formed, or so-called parasitic craters, which themselves represent some significant hills. Thus, for example., Crater Monti Rossi at Nicolosi, ejecting lava during the terrible eruption of 1669, rising above the surrounding terrain at 250 m. Almost every large eruption creates new Bock, and now the volcano is on its slopes and 900 parasitic craters . At the bottom of the slopes of Etna gentle, and above are somewhat steeper, a mountain has the shape of a strongly truncated cone, which is the residue of an ancient crater type devastated Somme, to adjoin the flat terrace Piano del Lago, which was placed before the house where travelers could rest, the so-called «Casa inglese». The interior of the crater is subject to strong changes, drawings 176, 177 and 178 represent him at different points in development at the beginning of this century. One of the remarkable features of Etna is a huge valley Valle del Bove, penetrates the mountain from its eastern side, the gloomy rocks restrict this desolate valley from both sides: "'sides, and only did the shepherds with their flocks drop here. The origin of this valley is in the present moment controversial. Some geologists have speculated that Valle del Bove - a special kind of uplift of the crater, others saw it as a crack, which occurred during one of the eruptions and was then diluted with water, it was suggested at last, and many other explanations. But the most likely solution to the problem we find in the writings of Sartorius von Valtersgauzena and Gemmel, Laro, which showed that in Valle del Bove, there are traces of an ancient crater. The ancient lavas and tuffs are distributed from one point in this valley, the so-called Three-foletto; here converge and ancient lava cores. On the contrary, the center of the spread of new igneous mass is a modern crater. It must be assumed that the old crater was located over the three-foletto south-east of the modern. On the southern slope of Etna, near Nicolosi, there were also two recent eruptions. fissure formed in 1886 by a cone of Monte Tszhemel-Laro, 8 July 1892 significantly continued to the north. The phenomenon that preceded the shaking of the soil, and increased activity of the main crater, which threw the loose products. Over the next three days, accompanied by strong explosions have defined three new crater and then appeared and the fourth. spewed from the products they formed four parasitic cone. Lava poured mainly from the lower part of the crack. For a short time the volcano has lowered its activity, in August, it manifested itself with renewed vigor and expressed the formation of two new secondary cones. They mainly manner and focused volcanic activity, the former is a cone, called "Monti Silvestri" in honor of the late explorer Etna, almost extinguished, except that which was formed later than the others. The eruption occurred within five months, ie, longer than usual happens on Etna.