A moment of dramatic change

A moment of dramatic change, a photo by etnaboris on Flickr.

One minute before, the latest paroxysm from the New Southeast Crater on Etna had been going on rather quietly - surely enough, there were two spectacular lava fountains many hundreds of meters high, but it was all kind of "clean", or "smooth", just very beautiful but nothing particular compared to the previous paroxysmal eruptive episodes from the same crater. Then, at 06.20 h (local time), the southeast flank of the cone that has grown in recent months around the New Southeast Crater, ruptured as a new eruptive fissure opened from the crater rim down to the base of the cone. A line of lava fountains sprang from a number of vents along this fissure, and the fountains that had been playing from vents within the crater immediately lost their splendor.

To us, a group of Etna lovers, photographers, and Alpine rescue service staff, plus myself, the show unfolding before our eyes was beautiful and breathtaking beyond description. Etna once more had invented one of her surprising twists, something we're always certain to see without having the faintest idea what it will be.

The paroxysm lasted some 20 more minutes, then the vents within the crater stopped fountaining; by 06.50 h also the lowest of the newly-formed vent stopped fountaining, and there was some ash emission before all died down - and the cone reappeared from the ash, gas and dust clouds.

It had changed beyond recognition.