The momentary variety of the
eruption forms in the summit region of the volcano Etna, suggests
that the upper structure remembers to a dump.
At the east back
of the Bocca Nuova to the Southeast crater you can discover a
lot of cracks and you'll finally understand that in the summit
area
a lot of volcanic masses
did move.
That the Southeast crater can come up with extremely
explosive strombolian activities over months was already observed.
Lava streams and splatterned fissures are
well-known. Phantastic is however, if all
presentations appears at the same place in action. A lava
park had developed during the last month in the summit areal.
tb
The impressive
view of the lava stream gets amplified by persuaded volcano
fans in the foreground during the evening hours. The lava
stream pushed itself about two or may three kilometers down the
western slopes of the Etna. The pine woods were threatened however in
no way. At the discharge position
on approximately 3070 m the very hot whitish lava poured out with an estimated
speed of 3-4 m/s down to a 70 m plateau lain below.
tb
Right:
The heated air of the lava stream let the down going sun
trembling at the horizon.
mr
Martin who had the
time advance of two
travel days could make impressive
photos at the outlet place of
the approximately 3 meters high ejections by waiting persisted in
the morning hours at the 2nd November. This activity however
was hidden
for the most observers, because this ejection activity did not announce
itself and was from short duration.
mr
Evening mood
and the beginning night on the western side of the flow. The
night here above was surprising cold and the temperature fell
down under - the minus 15°C marking. Of corse the inexhaustible
warmth of the lava stream was a nice support to accomplish the very low-temperatures, however the unbelievable heat
in the environment of the discharge did not permit approaching
closer. Thus you were constantly employed to find the thin ' comfort range '. A
changing bath
between a barbecue grill rust and a deep-freezer was the result.
mr
mr
tb
mr 
mr
mr
Night impressions. The city Catania in the background. At the upper right picture the size of the
lava flow in comparison to a truck . In the right picture
underneath the first sunbeams on the
west slope of the Bocca Nuova.
tb
After a long
night the sun fights itself through the dark volcanic gas clouds
mr
mr
The
fissure opening in the main crack
After
our two-day stay at the Stromboli we
returned again to the summit of Etna. Here everyone explained us
that the effusiven activities would have stopped. Disbelievingly we wanted
to make ourselves a picture of the actual ongoings. To our surprise a
new lava stream already pushed itself over the ' two days old ' cooled AA
- lava bed.
tb
tb 
mr
Side view of the
downgoing flow. Already during the ascent to the outlet I
heard a quiet rustling in the stacked up lava field by giving no larger attention.
Arriving above we
noticed that a tough nearly inconspicuous new lava stream
approached to us. Up to this time the new occurrence drew out
only a little cind of
enthusiasm, when suddendly a dull bang was recognised. At the same time the lower discharge position
began to pulsate and the degassing clearly increased violently.
Sceptically we looked behind us and could actually recognize
in a distance of 50 meters the first lava shreds through
the
steam.
Super, we tried
to observe the new ongoins more nearer. We asked
ourselves, if this new
fissure was already longer present ? But
the activity increased fast, and meanwhile lava blisters up to a size of
3 meters shot out
transverse to the main crack out from the wall . In connection of
the mysterios noise in the slope I understand briefly that
probably a new opening of the volcanic
base seems to be on the
way.
After we realized standing already in the young main fissure a
quesy feeling arose. What to do if the main crack
also still opens?? Instinctively I put on my helmet ( a seldom
act!). The fast increasing activity literally did chased us away from our
location.
tb 
mr
The activity
escalated now finally. Generously the explosive 'hole in the
base' disposed meter-large lava shreds over the slope of the
Bocca Nuova. Temporarily the lava ejections rached up to 200
meters.
The ' good ' old position transformed now into a glowing island.
Meanwhile a small cone had developed itself at the vent.
The spectacle was going on and continued to receive an unbelievable
aesthetic. After approximately two hours the explosive
activity stopped, and the accustomed peace returned again.
Brotzeit !
mr
tb
tb
Photographers at the hornito in action:
Marco Fulle, Martin and Tom Pfeiffer
The
upper photos shows the changing within two days, that a lava
fissure become to an
impressing slylight . The Hornito at the eastern side of
the southeast cone constantly changed its opening. By the
withdrawing lava the opening can lock nearly completely,
whereby the Hornito can break also again up by fast increasing pressure from down.
tb
mr
The eastern side
of the Southeast crater. Like blood veins the lava flowed down
to
the Val del Bove. Left
above also the Hornito is to be recognized. With exact
viewing of the photos, one can discover glowing marks at the summit of the
Southeast. These photos however are possible only with
long exposure and full moon.
