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At
the time of the 16 April 2000 paroxysm of the SE Crater I was at Catania,
and as soon as I learned of the gradually increasing activity, I rushed
to a part of the city that lies at the coast of the Ionian Sea, and from
where one enjoys a marvellous view of the volcano on clear days. In fact,
on 16 April the air was exceptionally clear, so that the activity could
be observed very well from there. I took numerous photos of the activity
which fluctuated, but generally showed an increasing trend. The last frames
on my roll of film were shot as the activity at the SE Crater main vent
increased significantly. After several phases of waxing and waning activity,
a phase of very intense explosive activity began, producing a spectacular
eruption column which rose menacingly into the blue sky. Having no further
rolls of film, I could just sit and watch the activity, which was among
the most spectacular I have seen in 3 years of life at Etna.
Fortunately, not all of the people who saw the event ran out of film as
early as I did. During the weeks following the paroxysm, various people
sent me their photos taken mostly in the summit area, and now I can finally
present a fairly complete photographic record of the most powerful paroxysm
at the SE Crater in the series of more than 50 eruptive episodes during
the first months of 2000. These include a few shots of the most dramatic
phase of the eruption when the people who had remained near the erupting
crater believed that its huge cone was shattered to pieces.
All photographers are named above the photos taken by them; my warmest
acknowledgements go to them for sharing their spectacular photographic
material of this extraordinary event with me and the visitors of this
site.
The
view from Ognina, Catania - photos by Boris Behncke
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Left:
View of the "Harbor of Ulysses" at Ognina at about noon
on 16 April 2000, with Etna emitting dense gas plumes in the background.
At this moment the activity is concentrated at the Sudestino cone,
and little of this is visible from Catania with the naked eye.
Center: A zoom on the upper part of Etna, showing a white gas plume
rising vertically from the Sudestino, and a more diffuse plume coming
from the Bocca Nuova which lies to the left of the Sudestino plume.
This photo was taken a few minutes after the one at left.
Right: At about 1230 h, the first dark plumes can be seen rising
from the SE Crater main vent, while a white plume continues to rise
from the Sudestino.
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Left:
Life goes on as normal at the Porto d'Ulisse at Ognina (note market
in foreground), while an ever growing gas plume is rising from the
Sudestino and the main vent of the SE Crater.
Right: At 1330 h, the activity at the SE Crater main vent increases
suddenly, and a dense, dark plume begins to rise up. |
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These
four photos show the development of the first major tephra column
of the SE Crater, which developed rapidly after 1330 h. The plume
rose about 1 km in a few seconds, and eventually reached a height
of about 3 km. This first phase of vigorous tephra emission lasted
about 10 minutes, and was accompanied by an increase of lava fountaining
at the Sudestino. Note dust plumes rising from the flanks of the
SE Crater cone
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The
view from Torre del Filosofo - photos by Judit Zachar
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A
lava fountain is spouting from the Sudestino as Judit Zachar is
on her way up to Torre del Filosofo (left). At her arrival, a diffuse
plume containing a some ash rises from the SE Crater main vent (right
photo, background), and fountaining continues at the Sudestino
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Left:
Ash emission increases at the SE Crater main vent, while a jet of
lava can be seen at the Sudestino (foreground), and lava flows in
several streams from this vent.
Right: A wide-angle view of the summit cone complex, with the broad
gas plume from the Bocca Nuova at left, the thinner white plume of
the Sudestino, and, behind it, the ash plume from the SE Crater main
vent |
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The
three views above show the progressive increase of explosive activity
at the main vent and the temporary cessation of fountaining at the
Sudestino. Brownish dust clouds are rising from the slopes of the
SE Crater cone as bombs begin to fall from the growing pyroclastic
column.
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At
1330 h, a more vigorous phase of explosive activity starts at the
summit vent of the SE Crater, and a dense eruption column rapidly
rises into the clear sky. The Sudestino has not yet resumed its fountaining
activity |
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Left:
Powerful explosions shake the cone of the SE Crater, and a heavy rain
of large bombs falls onto its flanks, generating dense clouds of brownish
dust.
Right: Another view of dust clouds rising from the flanks of the SE
Crater cone, and the steaming Sudestino in the foreground. |
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Strong
explosive activity from the SE Crater summit vent is visible in these
photos, with simultaneous spectacular lava fountaining from the Sudestino. |
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Left:
A zoom on the lava fountain at the Sudestino.
Right: A sudden, and very powerful, explosion from the main vent of
the SE Crater sends thousands of large bombs hundreds of meters above
the summit (these are visible in the enlarged version of the image
to the left of the black eruption column. |
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The
view from south - photos by Jean Claude Tanguy
The first two of these photos were taken
from near Torre del Filosofo; the third one was taken from the Piano del
Lago, about 1 km S of Torre del Filosofo
The
view from west - photos by Jean Pierre Kloster*
Kloster
and his companions were near the 1971 "Observatory" cone at
the beginning of the activity, but then apparently retreated to a safer
place, at a greater distance from the SE Crater
*Jean-Pierre
Kloster died prematurely during an excursion to Erta Ale volcano in the
Afar triangle (NE Africa) in early 2001, and his loss is deeply regretted.
His contributions to this site will remain colorful evidence to his will
to share his observations with the outside world and his enthusiasm in
observing volcanic phenomena. Unfortunately, this enthusiam eventually
cost him his life.
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These
photos show the dramatic culmination of the activity at about 1430
h. In the left image, a dark fountain of bombs and ash is seen rising
from the summit vent of the SE Crater. Small plumes of dust are
rising from the flanks of the cone where bombs are hitting the ground.
A dense white gas plume can be seen rising from the southern flank
of the cone at right, where a fissure is bursting open. The right
photo shows a brownish plume on the S flank of the cone, generated
by an avalanche, as explosions are bursting from the newly opening
fracture.
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Left:
A view up towards the eruption column rising from the SE Crater,
showing its bright upper portion.
Right: The paroxysm is over, the Sudestino (at left) is quiet, and
the huge eruption plume is seen drifting eastwards in the background.
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Aftermath
- photos by Jean Pierre Kloster
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