Not just one cone, but a complex of cones: the broad pyroclastic edifice of Monte Sona is seen in this photograph taken on 22 April 2000, shortly before the onset of vigorous vegetation growth in the spring, viewed from Monte S. Leo, about 1.3 km to the south. At least two large cones with several craters make up this edifice, the taller of which is seen to the right, with the rounded summit of distant Monte Vetore being barely visible above it. The near flank of Monte Sona is cut by an eruptive fissure with several small craters, which formed in 1536 and are barely recognizable in this image. At the right base of Monte Sona a narrow tongue of lava of the 1983 eruption advanced through fertile terrains and destroyed several buildings, including a restaurant. In the upper right portion of the photograph, the Southeast Crater, one of Etna's four summit crater, is seen as a twin-peaked cone; at that time (spring 2000) its shape changed rapidly due to frequent paroxysmal eruptive episodes

Mamma Etna's countless children
Monte Sona
S flank, 14.984559° E, 37.668957° N
Summit elevation: 1394 m

Among the numerous flank cones that lie on the south flank of Mount Etna between 1100 and 1500 m elevation, Monte Sona is one of the geologically most complex and interesting, although much of the geology is now hidden by dense vegetation. Monte Sona is a complex of two large cones, each of which has two craters, and on its south flank there is a line of younger craters that probably erupted in 1536. What is most intriguing in this area is that the alignment of vents on eruptive fissures is not radial to the summit of Etna, but follows a NE-SW trend. This trend is evident in the alignment of both the Monte Sona vents themselves and the nearby 1536 eruptive fissure system. Thus the two cones of Monte Sona are elongate in this same direction, as are the vents within their craters. The larger and more northeasterly of the two cones has a summit crater 180 x 250 m in diameter, with two vents separated by a low septum; the lower southwestern cone has two smaller craters.
Due to the morphological complexities, Monte Sona is highly irregular. Its larger northeastern cone rises about 130 m above its southern base but only about 30 m above its northern base, where it has been surrounded by the lava flow of 1910. The southwestern cone, which is about 80 m lower than the northeastern cone, shows a similar asymmetry. A well-maintained network of trails and dirt road allows very easy access to Monte Sona, from where one can enjoy very impressive panoramic views of the upper and lower southern flanks of Etna, with many of its pyroclastic cones and lava flows of different ages, the most recent of which was added in summer 2001.
I first visited Monte Grosso in early June 1998 but did not take photographs; during my next visit on 22 April 2000 I did take photographs, many of which are shown on this page, and a third visit was made on 31 October 2003.

Left: the lower of the two main cones of Monte Sona stands about 80 m below the summit of its taller neighbor immediately to the northeast, and its two craters are largely masked by dense vegetation. In the left distance lies Monte Mazzo Center: view across the crater of the larger of the two Monte Sona cones. A septum in the foreground separates the two vents within the crater, which are aligned along a NE-SW trend. The upper portion of Etna's south flank is in the background, with the cones of Monte Vetore (left) and Montagnola (right) in the background; black lavas are of the 1983 eruption Right: crater of the larger Monte Sona cone seen from its north rim, looking south. A small hut stands on the opposite side of the crater rim. Photos taken 22 April 2000

Left: a small crater on the south flank of the Monte Sona composite cone, lying at the upper (northern) end of an eruptive fissure that may have erupted in 1536, and belonged to a much longer system of eruptive fissures extending beyond Monte Manfrè to the north. View is to the southeast, with several other flank cones on the south flank in the background Center: view from Monte Sona toward north, in the direction of Etna's summit, which is hidden in clouds. Large cone to the left is Monte Vetore, and the peak in right background is the Montagnola. The fissured cone in the left center is Monte Zacchinelli, presumably formed during the 1536 eruption, and behind it to the right lies Monte Monte Zacchinello, which was partially buried by the black 1983 lava field Right: southward view from Monte Sona, showing most advanced eastern branch of the 1983 lava field in right foreground; behind this rises the large cone of Monte S. Leo. To the left of Monte S. Leo lies the much lower cone of Monte Rinazzi, and the characteristic twin-peaked cone of the Monti Rossi (of the 1669 eruption) are in the distance. Photos taken 22 April 2000

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