Il monitoraggio e la previsione della cenere vulcanica finanziato dai fondi del PO Italia-Malta 2007-2013 è stato selezionato dalla commissione Europea come "Best Practice" in tema di mitigazione e prevenzione dei rischi naturali.

La Commissione Europea ha selezionato il progetto VAMOS SEGURO, finanziato dal Programma di Cooperazione Transfrontaliera “Italia-Malta 2007-2013” di cui la Regione Siciliana è Autorità di Gestione, quale best practice europea in tema di mitigazione e prevenzione dei rischi naturali.

Il progetto – realizzato da un partenariato composto dall’Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia di Catania, dall’Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica di Catania, dal Comune di Montedoro e dall’Università di Malta – ha realizzato un sistema automatico per il monitoraggio e la previsione della dispersione delle ceneri vulcaniche dell’Etna grazie  all’utilizo di una complessa strumentazione, realizzata attraverso le risorse del Programma “Italia-Malta 2007-2013”, capace di identificare le zone tra Sicilia e Malta in cui vi siano concentrazioni dannose di ceneri e gas vulcanici e di produrre sistemi di allerta per le autorità responsabili della circolazione aerea.

Vai al sito del progetto

Etna update, 28 April 2013

The 13th episode of lava fountaining (paroxysm) of this year at Etna's New Southeast Crater took place on the evening of 27 April 2013, one week after the previous episode, and after a "prelude" characterized by Strombolian activity and frequent ash emissions. which had started already on 21 April, just one day after the 20 April paroxysm. After a gradual increase in both the eruptive activity and in the volcanic tremor amplitude, which had started on the evening of 26 April, the paroxysmal phase began shortly after sunset on 27 April, with lava fountains 300-500 m high, emission of lava flows from the southeastern and northeastern flanks of the New Southeast Crater cone and from the "saddle" between the two Southeast Crater cones, forming small lava flows toward south and north. A portion of the eastern flank of the cone collapsed, generating a pyroclastic flow, which advanced about 1 km toward the Valle del Bove. Furthermore, a cloud of gas and pyroclastic material formed, which was blown by the wind to the northeast, resulting in ash and lapilli falls in the area of Linguaglossa, and more distant Taormina and Messina. The paroxysmal phase lasted about 2 hours; lava emission toward southeast continued for many hours and ceased during the forenoon of 28 April. A more detailed report will be posted shortly.

Etna update, 20 April 2013

A new episode of lava fountaining (paroxysm) has taken place on the afternoon of 20 April 2013 at Etna's New Southeast Crater (NSEC), the 12th event of this type within two months. Explosive activity had resumed on 19 April, less than 24 hours after the end of the previous paroxysm. During the night of 19-20 April, the explosive activity switched to quiet, non-explosive emission of lava from the eruptive fissure at the southeastern base of the NSEC cone, which had opened a the end of the 12 April paroxysm but remained inactive during the subsequent paroxysm on 18 Apeil. During the day of 20 April, effusive activity continued, but explosive phenomena were virtually absent until about 15:00 GMT (=local time -2), when violent explosions started, which rapidly passed into a lava fountain accompanied by the formation of an eruption column. The lava fountains reached heights of 800-1000 m above the crater, whereas the cloud of pyroclastic material expanded toward east-southeast, leading to heavy falls of ash and lapilli over the areas of Zafferana Etnea, Milo, Santa Venerina and further downslope, in the area of Giarre. A well-fed lava flow expanded down the western slope of the Valle del Bove, locally interacting with residual patches of snow, which resulted in the formation of lahars and ground-hugging steam and ash clouds, a phenomenon seen several times during previous paroxysms during the winter season on Etna. Lava fountaining continued for about one hour, and then passed into sporadic explosions and ash emission between 16:15 and 16:25. The episode was essentially over by 16:40, although the lava flow is still showing movement and possibly is still being fed from its source vent (19:00 GMT on 20 April 2013).

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