The July-August 2001 eruption of Mount Etna was THE mass media eruption, and everybody dealing somehow with the volcano had her/his appearances in television, newspapers, and journals, national and international. I was no exception, although my (questionable) fame was largely restricted to German and U.S. media; of course, for the Italian mass media there were many national scientists available. Unfortunately, television crews and photographers went very much for those persons doing the show rather than science, although the TRUE show was the eruption. Here I am portrayed while "studying a rock specimen" (which, honestly, was a chunk of old lava I picked up to make the impression of doing something scientific, because the photographer wished so), in a photograph published in the 24 July 2001 issue of "La Sicilia" (left), and posing before the main lava flow at the Monti Silvestri for photographer Fabio Artusi, in an article published in the 30 July 2001 issue of "Der Spiegel"

Etna photo gallery: 2001
Etna makes the news

The year 2001 marked the final part of the long-lived summit eruptions that began five years earlier, and the first flank eruption of Mount Etna since 1991-1993. Following a long, slow build-up between January and June, the Southeast Crater returned to producing lava fountains in June and produced fifteen episodes of lava fountaining and lava emission for about six weeks. Then a dramatic seismic crisis (with more than 2500 events in four days) heralded the flank eruption, which began on 17 July and lasted until 9 August. That eruption was one of the most complex seen at Etna during the past hundred years, with a total of seven eruptive fissures erupting simultaneously, two different types of magma being emitted, and violently explosive activity at one of the newly formed vents. Rarely has an eruption anywhere in the world been such a media spectacle. Journalists from all over the world flocked at the volcano to follow the events and interview an incredible quantity of true or self-declared Etna experts and show them in action near the eruptive vents. While some news reports declared already the partial destruction of the town of Nicolosi, which was in the path of the largest lava flow (but ran a low risk of ever being touched by it), the eruption caused serious damage to the tourist complex around the Rifugio Sapienza. The most important loss was that of the arrival station of the cable car, near the end of the most dramatic phase of the eruption.
Following the July-August flank eruption, Etna fell in deep silence. Yet everybody was sure that soon the volcano would return on the stage, which it did ten months later, in the summer of 2002. And soon we would see that it had not lost the least bit of its potential to take us by surprise.

Part 1: Before the flank eruption, January-June 2001

Slow build-up of the activity, 25 March 2001

I made two visits to the summit area of Etna during the period between January and June 2001, one on 25 March and the other two months later. Slow extrusion of lava had begun from a vent on the north-northeastern side of the Southeast Crater (the so-called "Levantino") in mid-January 2001 and continued at a fairly low rate for three months. Mild explosive activity also resumed in January at the Bocca Nuova, following about one month of relative quiet. During the 25 March visit, Strombolian explosions were observed at the Bocca Nuova, and non-explosive lava emission occurred from two vents at the "Levantino".

View into the southeastern pit of the Bocca Nuova, on 25 March 2001. Mild Strombolian activity is seen in one of several vents on the bottom of the pit, about 50 m below its rim

Left: approaching the southeastern pit of the Bocca Nuova, which is giving off strong eruption noises, 25 March 2001 Right: ejection of glowing lava fragments from a vent on the bottom of the southeastern pit of the Bocca Nuova

Two views of eruptive activity within the southeastern pit of the Bocca Nuova on 25 March 2001. The active vent lies in the northern part of the pit's floor, and fountains of incandescent lava shreds at times rise high above the lip of the pit

Left: ash plume rising from the northwestern pit of the Bocca Nuova on 25 March 2001, seen from south Right: panoramic view of the northwestern pit of the Bocca Nuova, showing internal terrace and central pit, which is the site of frequent explosions that eject mostly lithic material

Giuseppe "Pippo" Scarpinati standing above the two effusive vents at the Levantino, on the north-northeastern flank of the Southeast Crater cone, 25 March 2001. Lava emission is entirely non-explosive but accompanied by a strong hissing noise. Two small lobes of lava are flowing to the east and west from the vent area, and later both take a more northeasterly course

Left: panoramic view of the "Levantino" area and lower northern slope of the Southeast Crater cone (right), seen from eastern flank of main summit cone, 25 March 2001 Right: view from northern flank of the Southeast Crater cone toward the active effusive vents of the Levantino on the same day

Two views of the twin vents at the Levantino and the small lava flows emitted from these vents on the afternoon of 25 March 2001. Left photo shows the Pizzi Deneri with the Etna Observatory in the right background. Note absence of any pyroclastic material in the vent area

An evening at the Levantino, 23 May 2001

Two months after my previous visit to the summit area, the activity at the "Levantino" and the Southeast Crater has increased notably. Lava emission from the Levantino is much more voluminous, and accompanied by small Strombolian bursts from the summit vent of the Southeast Crater. This is the kind of show everyone would like to see on Etna, but this is going to last only 2 further weeks, after which the Southeast Crater will once more become much more violent. That marvellous evening of 23 May 2001 I was accompanied by a group of hikers from the Open University Geological Society (Mainland Section) and three French hikers, who lived unforgettable an unforgettable experience.

Prospects for a splendid new tourist season in the summer of 2001 lie in this beautiful lava flow cascading down the eastern flank of the Levantino on 23 May 2001. Like in 1999, the presence of a persistent lava flow relatively easy to reach on foot seems to grant a huge flux of tourists, and mountain guides build a narrow, winding footpath from the Piano delle Concazze right to the source of this lava flow. However, in the end very few tourists will see the marvellous display, before more violent activity at the Southeast Crater will render close visits impossible

Left: dark emissions from the summit of the Southeast Crater on the afternoon of 20 May 2001 indicate that explosive activity is occurring there. View is from near Fornazzo, on the eastern flank Right: night view of the same scene shows a lava flow descending from the Levantino to the Valle del Bove and small Strombolian bursts at the summit of the Southeast Crater

Left: general view of the lava flow-field that has formed below the Levantino during the three months since January 2001, on the afternoon of 23 May 2001 Right: ephemeral effusive vent at the northern base of the Levantino and surrounding recent lavas

Left: members of the excursion group of the Open University Geological Society are waiting for nightfall at the base of the Levantino on 23 May 2001 Right: lava cascade below the summit of the Levantino (the twin-peaked eminence at the left side of the Southeast Crater cone)

Left: panoramic view from north of the Southeast Crater (emitting white gas plume) and its satellite vent Levantino to the right, 23 May 2001 Right: member of the Open University Geological Society excursion group near the effusive vent of the Levantino, and summit of Southeast Crater in background

Left: a lava channel marks the effusive vent of the Levantino, seen here at dusk on 23 May 2001 Right: spectacular lava cascade descending from the Levantino toward the Valle del Bove on the evening of 23 May 2001

Last views of the Southeast Crater when it was great and easy to watch. As night falls on 23 May 2001, Strombolian bursts become visible at the summit vent of the Southeast Crater, and the lava flows issuing from the Levantino shine in full splendor

And once more lava fountains, 13 June 2001

In early June 2001, the activity of the Southeast Crater enters into yet another phase of episodic lava fountaining. Compared to the numerous lava fountains of the year 2000, these events initially appear to be less intense, and they occur at intervals of 2 to 5 days over a period of about 6 weeks. However, nearly the same sequence as in those earlier events is observed: (1) slow lava effusion begins from the Levantino, and gradually increases over several hours, (2) Strombolian activity begins at the summit vent of the Southeast Crater, (3) lava fountaining begins at the Levantino (sometimes also at several vents upslope from the Levantino) and then also at the summit of the crater; intense activity continues for about one hour, (4) the activity gradually decreases at all vents, and the ash content in the emissions from the summit vent increases temporarily. During some of the intervals between eruptive episodes, lava emission from the Levantino continues at a slow rate. Differently from the eruptive episodes in 2000, these did not involve any activity from the southern flank of the Southeast Crater cone.
The latest of the lava fountains in this period occurs on the early morning of 17 July 2001. Then, a few hours later, new vents open at the base of the Southeast Crater, and the first flank eruption since 1991-1993 begins...

Day breaks on 13 June 2001, and a paroxysmal eruptive episode at the Southeast Crater is about to end. A multilobate lava flow that has been emitted from the Levantino vent (visible as a small glowing spot in the center of the image) and is slowly cooling as the supply has ceased, and isolated but strong Strombolian bursts continue at the summit vent of the Southeast Crater, reaching heights of 300-400 m.

The two photographs at left and center show two different stages of the paroxysm at the Southeast Crater on the early morning of 13 June 2001. Strombolian activity and the emission of a small lava flow at the Levantino is seen in the left photograph, and minor explosive activity occurs at the summit vent of the Southeast Crater. Center photograph shows the culmination of the activity with strong Strombolian bursts at the summit vent and continuous lava fountaining at the Levantino, accompanied by more voluminous lava emission from the latter. Photographs were taken from the "Mareneve" road, about 1 km from the village of Fornazzo and about 6 km from the summit The photograph at right was taken on the late afternoon of 15 June 2001, a few hours after another paroxysm at the Southeast Crater, and shows a plume of dark ash rising from the Northeast Crater. The view is from the Giarre area, to the east of the volcano

Part 2: The flank eruption of July-August 2001

Return to the Etna photo gallery

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