Mount Etna erupted on Wednesday night sending volcanic ash billowing into the sky. Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe and stands at 10,810 ft.
The volcano is located on the Mediterranean island of Sicily and regularly blasts out lava and ash.
During it’s most active periods the volcano can spew out ash for days, forcing the closure of the Catania airport. Today’s activity however has been mild in comparison and flights in and out of the area have continued over the short term.
According to reports the current volcano sent a column of ash up to 16,000 feet above sea level.
Researchers at the Catania Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology also took pictures and documented lava that could be seen flowing from a new crater on the southeast side of the summit. That lava flow was headed towards the uninhabited Valle del Bove region.
In the meantime here’s a really cool time-lapse video of the current eruption:
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