BBC Friday, 27 July, 2001, 13:45 GMT 14:45 UK
Etna from space
ERS-2 satellite: Plume information can help pilots
Orbiting satellites are gathering amazing
images of the eruption events on Mount Etna.
Europe's most active volcano comes to life
every few months. It has been gushing lava
from fractures on its southern slope for more
than a week, threatening local settlements.
The data from space give the authorities on
the ground additional information that they can
use to manage the situation.
"The current eruption started on 17th July but
new fractures are opening up all the time," said
Dr Kate Evans-Jones, from the Remote Sensing
Data Analysis Service (RSDAS) at the Plymouth
Marine Laboratory, UK.
"Activity on these could threaten more
populated areas. We are providing near
real-time satellite data to ground crews
monitoring the activity so they can quickly
identify the location of new lava flows"
Nasa's Terra satellite: This 5 July false-colour image
shows snow on the northern flank (white/blue)
"This is the first time that satellite data have
been used to support an on-going crisis
assessment on Etna".
RSDAS uses data from the US Noaa (National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) series
of satellites to highlight high-temperature
volcanic features, such as lava flows, crater
lakes and hot springs.
Data are also being fed down from the joint
UK-Australian sensor - the Along Track
Scanning Radiometer (ATSR) - on board the
European Space Agency's ERS-2 satellite.
The data can be used to follow the volcanic
plume. This information is useful to the aviation
industry, which regards volcanic ash as an
aviation hazard that can choke engines,
causing them to stall.
Etna towers about 3,350 m (10,991 feet)
above Sicily.
This Terra image is in true colours and was taken on 22
July
A Noaa satellite tracks the plume on 23 July
Nasa's SeaWIFS satellite monitors the eruption on 24
July
-- Anonymous, July 27, 2001
BBC
Saturday, 28 July, 2001, 10:40 GMT 11:40 UK
Frantic drive to block
Etna lava
Local communities depend on Mount Etna tourism
Scores of civil defence workers are racing to
save a cable-car base and tourist centre from
being engulfed by lava pouring from Mount
Etna in eastern Sicily.
Heavy earth-moving equipment has been
brought in to block the lava flows as mighty
explosions like the pounding of heavy artillery
rock the area.
Police are turning back
crowds of tourists who
are flocking up the
mountain to watch the
eruptions.
Officials said the lava
was threatening Rifugio
Sapienza - a collection
of tourist facilities including a cable-car base
and souvenir shops halfway up the volcano.
A new lava flow emerged from the volcano on
Friday. Two larger flows are heading towards
unused barren land.
Lava has already
swallowed up a huge
cabin that houses
snow ploughs, along
with a tourist car park
and several ski lift
pylons.
The threat to the
nearby town of Nicolosi
is being constantly
monitored.
The 6,000 people who live there say this is
already among the most serious eruptions in
living memory.
No one yet can tell whether the worst of
Mount Etna's fury has been spent.
Unpredictable
Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and
Vulcanology says the eruption could go on for
weeks.
One local vulcanologist said it was impossible
to predict where the next lava stream would
go, and in what direction.
Giovanni Serafina, the
owner of a bar about
100 metres (yards)
from the lava,
described it as "a
terrible moment" for
people on the
mountain.
"Certainly our
grandfathers can't
even remember it being
like this," he told the
Associated Press news
agency.
The Italian Government has pledged tax breaks
for villagers to help get through the crisis and
more than $8m (£5.6m) in immediate financial
assistance.
The businesses of 300 families have been
affected by the latest eruptions, which started
on 12 July.
Catania airport was closed for two days earlier
in the week because of black ash that
showered the runways.
-- Anonymous, July 28, 2001