Mount Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe. It is located on the east coast of the island of Sicily, which is a part of Italy.

Physical features

Mount Etna covers an area of 600 square miles (1,600 square kilometers). Its base is about 93 miles (150 kilometers) around. Etna's highest elevation is about 11,000 feet (3,350 meters). As with other active volcanoes, Mount Etna's height changes depending on the effects of recent eruptions. In 1865, for example, the summit was 170 feet (52 meters) higher than it was in the late 20th century.

Study of the soil and rock of Etna indicate that it has been active for more than 2.5 million years. It has at least two active centers of eruption.

Vegetation

Mount Etna has three ecological zones based on elevation. Each zone has its own special vegetation. The first zone rises from the base of Mount Etna to about 3,000 feet (900 meters). This zone is fertile and lived in by people. It is covered with vineyards, olive groves, and orchards. Vegetables and citrus fruits are also grown there. Above this zone is the wooded region. Forests of chestnut, oak, beech, and pine extend upward to about 6,500 feet (1,980 meters). The zone above the wooded area has only a few scattered plants because of its altitude. Algae have been found near the steam outlets of Mount Etna at 9,800 feet (2,990 meters).

History of eruptions

The mythology of the ancient Greeks includes many legends about the volcano. According to one story, the volcano was the workshop of Hephaestus, the god of fire, and the Cyclops, a one-eyed giant. Another refers to it as the place under which the giant Typhon lay. Whenever he turned, the Earth trembled.

Seventy-one eruptions of Etna were recorded between 1500 BC and AD 1669. The lava flow from a massive eruption in 1669 destroyed a dozen villages and submerged the western part of the town of Catania.

Etna erupted 26 more times between 1669 and 1900 and frequently during the 20th century. One eruption began in late 1991 and lasted until the spring of 1993. When necessary, authorities explode dynamite to change the lava flow and prevent damage to surrounding communities.