From Etna to Stromboli, by Th. Boeckel, volcanos and astronomy science,21

Did you ever had a lava fontain behind your house?

The eruptive fracture 'Sapienza' the 21/22 July 2001

Fontain on the roof !

The building of the cable car Funivia del Etna nearly 'in touch' with Etnas eruptions.

Beside the new opened vents in 2950 m and 2700 m near the Td'F, the Monte Laghetto at 2600 m got his perfect cone design between the 17th of July to the 13th August eruption. During my staytime the fracture at 2080 m - 2150 m o.s.l. which was situated 400 m east to the Sapienza was the most sightfull and interesting place for me. Never before I saw an active vent erupting so close to an accumulation of houses.

This series shows the volcano surrounded Sapienza. The fissure which opened at the 17th July was lightning up the whole arial. At the time of 1.00 am I recognised a increasing intensity of the bocca's activity while throwing out rich material up 150 to 200 m.

The erupting bocca at the daylight. The twillight zone of light let the activity appears in great colors. Estimated lenght of the shown fissure about 150 m. Below the fissure a broad lavaflow of apprx. 30 m was crossing the street near the Monte Silvestri craters.

In former times I admired films from Iceland and Hawaii by Maurice and Katia Krafft showing fountains behind houses and villages close to the eruptions. About that I was very affected to got a witness placed at this monumental observation point. On the photos at this page you will find out that some photo positions were holding me fast fanaticaly.

The passage of the flow hit nearly a restaurant at the beginning of the activity. I would say that the restaurant got a soft - touch while the glowing mass was slipping lengthwise along the wall down the valley. The inserted firemen avoided that the building was burning down by cooling the stiffed lava side morain with water (Photo down middle). The left photo down shows an interview at the new fracture.

The esthetic side of the fissure



Beside of the hectical and spectacular events at the Sapienza the fissure had an especially esthetic side. The pictures above are presenting the crack with the main vent and apprx. 50 altimeters below the three springs. Between them there were also a few little bubblemakers.



One fascination was, that the lavaflow was sliding over the blowholes and with every burst the erupting lava shoot through the hot carpet while forcing up big shreds. The most phantastic moment was, when the three vents did blow out at the same time under a loud roaring and hissing.



This natural game in connection with the sound of the earthpower by noticing little tremors let only a few persons, mainly scientists take part of this unique happening. For a better understanding of this condition look for the videoclips.



Some longer exposed 'Duemillecento impressions'.

To the events from 21.7 - 27.7.01