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Etna Eases After Morning Lava Fountains Open New Vent, Prompt Red Aviation Alert

Authorities maintain heightened monitoring after a short-lived escalation that produced lava fountains, opening a new vent.

Overview

  • By 10:36 UTC on December 27, INGV reported summit activity had diminished to sporadic ash emissions following the morning peak.
  • Lava fountains about 150–200 meters high erupted from the Northeast Crater as a vent opened on the upper eastern flank of the Voragine.
  • A lava flow advanced toward the upper Valle del Bove, with its full extent unconfirmed pending field inspection by INGV teams.
  • The Aviation Color Code was raised stepwise from Green to Yellow to Orange, reaching Red during the fountaining phase.
  • Winds carried ash to the northeast with light ashfall reported in Taormina and the Piano Provenzana area as civil protection temporarily raised alert levels.