For the fifth time this summer, Italy’s Mount Etna erupted on Sunday, spewing ash over Sicily and forcing a temporary halt to flights at Catania International Airport.
The eruption began around 3 a.m., with video from Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) showing a lava fountain generating an ash cloud that rose more than 32,000 feet above the surrounding towns. Lava flows from the Bocca Nuova and Voragine craters continue, and further flight delays are possible.
Mount Etna, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, has experienced frequent eruptions throughout July, with this latest event marking the fifth since late June.
The volcano, towering over 11,000 feet, is located at the convergent boundary of the African and Eurasian plates and has a recorded history of eruptions dating back to 425 B.C.
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