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Frequently
asked questions about Etna |
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Many people, mostly Americans, are concerned about their relatives (personnel of the military base at Sigonella, some 15 km south of Catania) who live near Etna, after receiving news about Etna via television news and newspapers that are often exaggerated or contain false information. This was particularly the case during the July-August 2001 eruption, and as a result many people cancelled their holidays in Sicily. There
is absolutely no danger to the lives and health of anyone living near
Etna, even in the case of a major explosive summit eruption. The worst
effects in that case would be falls of tephra (that is, dust to sand-sized
particles called "ash", and small fragments of highly porous
scoriae) that can disrupt traffic, and leave a dirty cover on roads, buildings,
and any other free surface. In recent decades, the most distant places
affected by tephra falls were the town of Siracusa, some 80 km south of
Etna, in August 1979, the southernmost of the Aeolian Islands, some 100
km north of Etna, in January 1990, and the northern coast of Africa, in
July 2001. Catania received its most recent significant tephra falls during
the July-August 2001 eruption. During these and various previous eruptions,
the airport of Catania had to be closed because of the ash falls. In the case of a major eruption of Etna, do not trust too much the information spread by the mass media. Contact your relatives directly, or check this site to see the Etna News Page which will give you frequent updates during an eruption of Etna. Next Question: Is being a volcanologist a dangerous job? |
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Copyright © Boris Behncke, "Italy's Volcanoes: The Cradle of Volcanology" |
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set up on 8 March 1998, last modified on 20 March 2002
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