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On Settember 11th 2006 New
summit eruption at Mount Etna
After the end of the short
eruptive phase of July 14-24, 2006, and the renewal of explosive
activity at the North-East Crater at the end of July, on early
morning of 31 August strombolian activity resumed also at the
summit of the South-East Crater (SEC).
This activity was mild, with fallout of lapilli and bombs mainly
within the crater.
The ejecta eventually filled the crater, and between 19:00 and
20:00 (local time) of 5 September an overflow occurred from the
summit of the SEC.
The overflow formed spectacular lava falls along the breached east
side of the crater, and lava was accumulating within the
depression that cuts the middle-eastern flank of the SEC.
This large depression formed after the end of the 2004-05 eruption.
The overflow from the summit continued to spread within the
depression until 7 September when, at about 6:45 am (local time),
it overflowed the eastern rim and started to spread on the outer
east flank of the SEC, and from here towards the Valle del Bove
rim.
The flow was extremely viscous, slow, thin and cold, mainly
propagating through collapses and breaching of the a’a’ flow
front. Explosive activity continued at the summit of the SEC with
discontinuous intensity, height up to about 50 m, and with lava
blocks falling up to the base of the cone.
Late in the evening of 10 September a new rock fall occurred from
the wall dividing the SEC summit crater from the middle-eastern
depression.
As a result, an ash plume rose from the summit of the crater,
transported westward by the wind.
No significant ash fallout has been observed on the ground, and
the lava flow spreading on the east flank is still slowly moving
towards the Valle del Bove rim. Both lava flow effusion and
explosive –strombolian- activity are still going on today, 11
September.
Updated reports of the activity (only in Italian
language) are available at the INGV-CT web page
http://www.ct.ingv.it.
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