I lived in Belpasso, Sicily in the late 70's. Etna was always active and smoked daily while dropping her ashes on the towns below. Lava dust gets into everything including those bedsheets you let dry on your Italian clothesline setting on your condo's balcony. Just before I left for Germany, there was a news article about some tourist who was killed by a hot lava rock coughed up by Etna landing on the tourist's head. When I was more venturous, I once climbed up to within a mile or so from the craters rim. Overall, I don't have a lot of respect for volcanoes, I'm just scared to death of them. ~ Storm'n Norm'n
The town of Belpasso is located roughly 9 to 12 miles (15 to 19 kilometers) straight-line distance from the active summit vents and upper flank lava flows of
Mount Etna, though active flows remain high on the mountain and far from the town itself. [
1,
2,
3]
- Lava Source: Eruptive activity and fresh lava streams stem from vents at high altitudes (between 1,900 and 3,000 meters) near the summit craters or into the Valle del Bove. [1, 2, 3]
- Safety: While recent activity causes ash fallout in nearby communities like Belpasso, the active lava fronts remain confined to high, steep, and uninhabited areas of the mountain. [1, 2, 3]
- 1669 Eruption: The original site of Belpasso (Malupassu) was completely destroyed by a massive historic lava flow from Mount Etna.
- Relocation: The town was rebuilt much lower on the plain at its present elevation of about 551 meters (1,808 feet), keeping modern residents safe from current summit activity. [1, 2, 3, 4]
No comments:
Post a Comment