The 1634-1638 eruption was the second longest flank eruption of the 17th century and emitted about 150 million cubic meters of lava. But differently from several other eruptions during that century (such as the 1646-1647 Monte Nero and the 1669 Monti Rossi eruptions), this was a virtually non-explosive event. Explosive activity was limited to mild spattering at the eruptive vents, leading to the growth of a row of peculiar little cones consisting of welded bombs and spatter. This image, taken on 24 May 1998, shows several of these cones in the central portion of the 1634-1638 eruptive fissure, looking upslope toward the Schiena dell'Asino (the south rim of the Valle del Bove)

Mamma Etna's countless children
1634-1638 eruptive vents
SSE flank, 15.021884° E, 37.706197° N
Summit elevation: 2070-2000 m

While many flank eruptions of Mount Etna produce sizeable pyroclastic cones (the result of strong explosive activity), others have very low degrees of explosivity and no pyroclastic cones of appreciable dimensions are formed. But even these low-explosivity eruptions can produce huge amounts of lava, as was impressively shown during the 1991-1993 eruption in the Valle del Bove. During their initial stages, mild degassing at the eruptive vents produces small bursts of liquid spatter that fall down immediately next to the vents and build small edifices that are generally known as hornitos (the Spanish word for "little ovens") or spatter cones. A spectacular row of spatter cones was built at the eruptive fissure of a voluminous eruption that occurred on the SSE flank of Etna in 1634-1638, on the southern outer slope of the Valle del Bove. These are still very well preserved, and a footpath leading up to the rim of the Valle del Bove passes nearby. There are about 15 distinct spatter cones of different size and shape, ranging from very small mounds about 1 m high to broad rings of agglutinated (welded) spatter with diameters of up to 10 m and heights of 5-8 m.
I visited the 1634-1638 vents first on the early morning of 24 May 1998 and returned to the place in September 1999. The photos on this page were taken during these two visits.

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Copyright © Boris Behncke, "Italy's Volcanoes: The Cradle of Volcanology"