Italian Stromboli volcano erupts for the second time in 2 months

Stromboli volcano, located in southern Italy, has erupted for the 2^nd time in 2 months.

Three active volcanoes exist in Italy: Stromboli volcano that shares the same name with an Island off the coast of Sicily, Vesuvius (which erupted causing devastating damage in 79 AD), located near Naples and Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe, located in Sicily. 

Stromboli belongs to the Calabrian volcanic arc, a group of volcanoes associated with the subduction of the African tectonic plate under the Eurasian plate. It has been constantly erupting since 1932. The Island consists of basalt and basaltic andesite lavas. 

The volcano erupted on August 28, 2019, after the occurrence of another eruption, which caused one fatality, on July 3, 2019. The current explosion was stronger and classified as of “high intensity” according to the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology (INGV). The sky was filled with a massive cloud of smoke that reached a height of 2 kilometers. 

INGV stated that the eruption produced a pyroclastic flow consisting of gas, rock and volcanic ash. The mixture was poured into the Tyrrhenian Sea. According to officials, some fires were triggered and seaplanes were used to put them out.

Stromboli has a population of about 500 people. Fortunately, there were no casualties related to the eruption. Authorities warned residents to remain in their houses in order to avoid the volcanic ash.

A 19-year-old woman who was on a cruise with her family near the Island describes the moment of the eruption: "We were sailing at a safe distance as per ordinance, when all of a sudden we heard a loud bang and saw a large black cloud spewing out of the Stromboli crater and pouring into the sea. We immediately increased the speed of the boat to the maximum, even though, being a sailboat, the speed was still limited. Then the cloud arrived at sea and began to advance quickly towards us. At that moment the panic broke out because we had the cloud a few meters away from our stern, but thanks to my father who was at the helm we managed to get away just in time because then the cloud started to rise again," she stated. 

Some tourists managed to capture the explosion on camera. Click the link below to watch the impressive footage.