On March 6, Mount Etna spewed red hot lava and lots of ash into the dark of night while the thoroughfares near the Italian volcano were littered with volcanic stone, according to the Associated Press (AP) via National Public Radio (NPR).
Etna is said to often erupt in a similar brilliance as was seen on Wednesday. In fact, in modern times, this is what is expected from Europe's tallest volcano and arguably the most active volcano in the entire world.
That said, this legendary mountain located above the Sicilian city of Catania has been erupting since 425 B.C., and possibly even earlier since that is when recordings of such events courtesy of Mother Nature started.
Although eruptions are frequent, damage is rare. Because of this, the dramatic events become things of beauty while the general population in the vicinity tend to remain unfazed when Etna explodes. Locals tend to call the active volcano "the gentle giant."
By way of background, ancient Greeks thought Mount Etna was where Vulcan, the god of fire, lived. To these people, when the volcano erupted, Vulcan was simply sending weapons to Mars.
Last year, Mount Etna sent out blasts three times in one month alone. The volcano has reportedly erupted around 170 times in its recorded history, with the new millennium repeating the process starting in the summer of 2001. At that point, lava flows nearly came in contact with Nicolosi, a small Italian suburb of Catania.
This most recent Mount Etna eruption was a thing of beauty, as evidenced in the YouTube video from the Associated Press below. Enjoy!
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