Southeastern vent area in Bocca Nuova seen from southern crater rim on 8 January 1998. Recent collapse has not yet affected these vents (while the northern cone has already lost tens of meters of height; see related images), and two main vents which are separated by a spatter rampart can be distinguished. Major growth of the cone around these vents occurred during an episode of vigorous lava fountaining on the evening of 25 November 1997. Note that the higher of the two vents lies only little below the view point.

The same view on 10 February 1998, after a series of major collapse events that affected both the northern and southeastern vent areas. The two large vents visible in the previous photo have significantly enlarged and merged into an 8-shaped feature.

Southeastern vent area and steaming remainder of the cone formed in 1964 (top) on 11 June 1998. Still more collapse has occurred, causing further enlargement of the crater that has now assumed an oval outline. It appears that the entire structure has subsided, testifying to the hypothesis of a magma column that may be as wide as the whole Bocca Nuova.