Mount Etna Powerpoint

1. Impact of Life on Sicily –Yesterday andToday
Alex Resch
ITA 154
5/6/14

2.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-
N3YoHGpITI

3.  Series of “stratovolcanoes” – cone like
volcano which is built up through magma
hardening as a result of eruptions
 Located along the eastern coast of Sicily, Italy
 10,900 feet high
 Eruption radius of 600 miles
 Base circumference is 93 miles

4.  Two central craters in
Mount Etna
 1. “Bocca Nuovo” –
northern crater
 2. “Voragine”- southeast
crater that was recently
formed during an eruption
 Valle del Bove- largest
feature in Etna, horseshoe
shaped caldera located on
the eastern slope
 Fissions and vents which
pose the greatest threat to
inhabitants today

5.  Longest record of activity in the world
 122 B.C. – Roman records make note of black
clouds from a large eruption blocking the sun
causing damage to Catania
 Catania also suffered from eruptions in 45
A.D., 1169, and 1669
 1669- Eruption causes an earthquake which
killed 1500 people in Nicoli and despite a
damage control attempt, damages Catania,
taking out half of the town

6.  1928- village named Mascali was taken out entirely as a result of a fissure
opening up on the bottom of the mountain
 1960- agricultural land surrounding Etna was corrupted by ash and lava
 “OperationVolcano Buster”- locals in Zafferana built dams to contain
lava and when almost full, the U.S. Marines flew in huge blocks of
concrete in order to contain the lava
 Despite this effort, many homes, farms, fields, orchards, and vineyards
were destroyed
 November 2013 – did not endanger any houses and no evacuation was
necessary

7.  Despite being the cause of much
destruction among Sicily, Mount
Etna is considered a blessing
 Mount Etna’s eruptions have
provided the population with a
mineral-rich soil with vital
nutrients essential to prolific
farming
 Attracts tourism
 One of the only volcanos in the
world which emit smoke rings
from time to time
 Was featured in StarWars:
Revenge of the Sith in order to
depict the fictional planet
“Mustafar”