Mount Etna had its first volcanic eruption after two years of latency, setting off a spring of lava near the isle of Sicily's eastern coast between Feb. 27 and 28.
One of the most active volcanoes in Europe, Mount Etna has emitted a mass of lava and ashes, consequently forming ash clouds and calling the attention of authorities as well as alarming holiday travelers for possible cancellation and postponements of flights.
Ash Clouds Not A Problem
Mount Etna is deemed as the Italy's highest volcano, approximately 3,330 meters or 10,926 feet tall.
Situated on the isle of Sicily, Mount Etna is as distant as Catania and Taormina's resort town, which is around 30 kilometers away.
Last year, from January 2011 until February 2012, the summit crater of Mount Etna showed recurring eruptions with floating ashes in the air. As a result, Catania airport's operation necessitated a shut down on some occasions.
On Feb. 28, a video from BPEarthWatch uploaded on YouTube referring to Mount Etnas's recent eruption has explained that from the volcano, the upper-level winds will blow the ashes northeast to southwest of Italy, which will then experience the ash clouds' adverse effects such as "minor air delays, poor air quality and haze."
On Express' official website, Gatwick Airport's spokesperson stated that they may be compelled to "alter their flight paths," while others consider that the ashes could even reach Bucharest.
"Mount Etna is erupting today but like it very often does during the course of the year," the British Airways spokesperson explained, countering the previous speculations.
"Sectors are open and fully operational. No impacts on flights are foreseen at the moment," added the British Airway's spokesperson.
European History's Largest Volcanic Eruption
The European history's largest eruption, up to date, happened in Campi Flegrei about 40,000 years ago.
Campi Flegrei, situated in Italy's city of Naples, has one of the largest known volcanic eruptions and is also considered to have caused the annihilation of the European Neanderthals' majority.
On Dec. 20, 2016, a study accounted that this passive volcano, after 500 years, is displaying signs of an inside activity that can almost reach a dangerous pressure point and lead to another catastrophe.
The volcanic ashes spewed out may affect the weather around the globe and cause climate issues such as releasing of toxic gases that would last for years. The potential massive impact of Campi Flegrei's awakening would be a thousand times forceful, similar to Mount Saint Helen's eruption in 1980, justifiable to earn the title of a "supervolcano."
