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Italy: Europe's Mightiest Volcano

July 23, 2014

Mount Etna is both fascinating and feared, and it attracts thousands of tourists every year. But for two weeks there have been new eruptive fissures. The summit has been closed off since they appeared.

https://p.dw.com/p/1ChiY

Three volcanoes constantly keep Italy on tenterhooks: Stromboli, the most active; the unpredictable Vesuvius; and the tallest, Mount Etna. At a height of 3352 meters, it visibly dominates much of the eastern coast of Sicily. Time and again, earthquakes shake the region, clouds of ash darken the skies and lava flows destroy houses high up on the mountain. A team of volcanologists and rangers on site monitor every movement Etna makes. Theoretically, an eruption could happen at any time.