News

Students witness eruption of Mount Etna

Published 21 March 2012

University of Brighton students got the opportunity of a lifetime when they were on the scene of a volcanic eruption during a Year 2 field trip to Mount Etna.

The 88 geography, environment and geology students saw Europe's largest volcano – the second most active volcano in the world – explode into life on 18 March.

Staff and students from the university's School of Environment and Technology had arrived the day before and were scheduled to meet up with volcano expert Dr Boris Behncke from the Italian Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) for a guided tour of Etna's history. However, a text message alerted staff that an eruption was imminent so the group headed to Trecastagni to view the 22nd eruption of Etna since January 2011.

They saw ash thrown up to 5,000 metres in the air and a short lava fountain. This was followed by lava flows and water vapour clouds as the hot lava interacted with the surrounding snow. The eruption on the New Southeast Crater of Mount Etna only lasted about two hours, but forced the temporary closure of the nearby Catania Airport and significant ash fell on surrounding villages.

Mount Etna erupting on 18 March 2012

What Dr Behncke calls "the greatest show on earth" gave the students a vivid lesson in the way locals cope with and manage living next to such a potentially lethal hazard.

Field trip leader Professor Phil Ashworth said: "What an amazing sight and experience and University of Brighton students are so fortunate to witness the creation of new parts of the earth's crust. The eruption is an event that students will never forget. In particular, the ash raining down on our heads and notebooks. And all in the presence of Etna's expert Boris Behncke."

Students and staff in front of an erupting Mount Etna

Students and staff witness "the greatest show on earth"

Images of the eruption were uploaded to flickr.com/photos/fluvialphil and tweeted from @RioParana, and have been retweeted around the world.