Mount Etna

Question 1

Where?

Answer 1

Italy, Sicily

Question 2

When?

Answer 2

1991-1993

Question 3

Nature of event?

Answer 3

Mountain = 3350m tall

• Dominates the landscape of northeastern Sicily
• Largest active volcano in Europe = 3 craters
• African and Eurasian plates (collision)

Question 4

Impacts

Answer 4

• Slow moving lava - threatened to destroy property
• Damage to tourist facilities, town Nicolosi is threatened
• 4.4 magnitude earthquake
• Ash fall = Catania airport closed down
• Lava destroyed springs = drinking water.
• Vineyards, farmland ruined
• No deaths

Question 5

Responses

Answer 5

• .Large earth barrier was constructed, several tens of metres and more than 400m long - held back lava for several months
• Aim = slow the lava advance temporarily while other protective measures put in place.
• By 1992, lava ‘over-flowed’, concrete blocks dropped by helicopters to cutoff flow.
• New man-made channel was made with the help of explosives