Volcanos are fascinating geological structures.
They essentially serve as vents, allowing the warmer inner materials of the Earth to emerge in flowing lava.
Mount Etna, located in Sicily, is even more interesting than your average volcano though.
A Mount Etna smoke ring in August 2023. (Photo: PSomol viaWikimedia Commons,CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED)
Mount Etna is generally extremely active.
Differences in speed as the gaseous material is ejectedcreates a vortex, a high speed swirl.
The gaseous ring then floats off, eventually fading.
Despite this unprecedented pace, it doesnt necessarily mean that a big explosion is on the way.
For now, the hyperactivity is a mesmerizing piece of nature.
The active volcano is currently a protectedpark.
It’s aUNESCO World Heritage sitethat has a unique ecosystem on its slopes, where plants and animals live.
you’re able to also follow the explosions and flows through a webpage maintained byThe Smithsonian.
A Mount Etna smoke ring in August 2023.
