Photos: Etna continues to grow after six months of activity and is now higher

The south-eastern crater of Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe, grows after six months of activity, as announced Tuesday the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology of Italy (INGV).

This youngest and most active crater of Etna reached at the end of July a new record of 3,357 meters above sea level, while for the past 40 years, the highest point of the volcano was the northeast crater, 3,324 meters high.

From the INGV, they clarified that the 50 or so episodes of ash and lava that have been expelled from the mouth of the crater since mid-February caused a “striking transformation of the outline of the volcano”, the dimensions of which were calculated using satellite images.

Etna’s northeast crater reached a record height of 3,350 meters in 1981, but a collapse of the edges of the walls in 2018 reduced it to 3,326 meters.

The crater has been producing smoke and ash since February, although it presents little danger to the surrounding villages. However, the Sicilian government estimated last July that 300,000 tons of ash had been cleaned up so far, causing a nuisance around the volcano, as it dirties the streets, damages traffic and damages crops, according to the AFP. RT.