Mount Etna Erupts with Lava and Ash on Sicily

Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, erupted in spectacular fashion on Sicily's east coast, spewing lava fountains and ash clouds into the sky while skiers navigated the snow-covered slopes below. The activity, which began on Wednesday and intensified through Friday and into the weekend, originated primarily from the volcano's northeast crater and Bocca Nuova vent, according to Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology.

The eruption unfolded amid a period of heightened geological signals, including volcanic tremors, ground deformation and infrasonic activity detected by monitors. By Thursday, ejections of incandescent material rose above the crater rims, producing jets of lava reaching 300 to 400 meters high. An ash column loaded with rock fragments climbed several kilometers above the 3,400-meter summit, carried northeast by winds. Intermittent explosions echoed across the slopes, generating loud booms and reddish flashes visible through worsening weather. Lava flows advanced about 2 kilometers eastward toward the Valle del Bove depression, with a new vent opening on the eastern flank of the Voragine crater.

Videos captured the dramatic scene on Saturday and...