On Sunday, July 19, a violent volcanic eruption and its accompanying jolts originating from Stromboli's Italian volcanic island woke up residents at around 3 A.M.
According to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology's observatory at Etna, the network documented a loud eruption and boom around the Sciara del Fuoco slope, which is occasionally visited by hikers.
Video footage from the eruption shows lava and debris falling from the volcano's crater. "Lava bombs" were seen violently raining down the area. The eruption lasted for about four minutes before conditions returned to normal, according to information from the Laboratory of Experimental Geophysics at the University of Florence.
According to Dr. Tom Pfeiffer from VolcanoDiscovery.com, the geophysical data obtained from the eruption, was recorded to be about ten times stronger than the volcano's typical size of explosions.
Moreover, he said it was comparable to the volcano's massive eruption on March 15, 2017. However, it was still approximately one order of magnitude smaller than the two flare-ups last year on July 3 and August 28, 2019.
So far, there have been no reports of damages or injuries related to Sunday's eruption.
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Stromboli Volcano Eruption 2019
Stromboli is known as the "Lighthouse of the Mediterranean." It has a population of around 500 and is home to one of the world's most active volcanoes. Moreover, the volcano is thought to have been persistently active, more or less, for most likely thousands of years.
Before the eruptions in 2019, one of its last major eruptions was in 2002. A destructive blast destroyed local buildings and piers. Six people were also reported injured due to the blast.
Stromboli's July 3, 2019 eruption killed one hiker and sent other tourists paddling into the sea to seek safety.
Furthermore, Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology said the explosion on August 28, 2019, caused a pyroclastic flow sweeping several hundred meters into the sea.
Facts on the Stromboli Volcano
Stromboli is a small island situated in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the north coast of Sicily. The area contains one of the three active volcanoes in Italy. Furthermore, it is one of the eight Aeolian Islands, a volcanic arc north of Sicily.
Stromboli gets its name from the Ancient Greek name Strongule which was given to it due to its round swelling form.
Stromboli stands 926 meters above sea level and over 2,700 meters on average above the seabed. It has three active craters at the peak.
Most of Stromboli's eruptions consist of small gas explosions that hurl blobs of lava above the crater rim. The majority of its explosions occur each hour. However, more massive eruptions and lava flows are less frequent.
One of the most significant geological features of the volcano is the Sciara del Fuoco or "Stream of Fire." It is a big horseshoe-shaped depression that developed in the last 13,000 years. Its formation was caused by several collapses on the northwestern side of the cone.
