- Age: 14-16 MYP Individuals and Societies
- Age: 14-16 GCSE / IGCSE Geography
- Natural Environments
- Economic Development
- IGCSE Geography Revision Question Bank
- 2.1 Earthquakes and volcanoes
- 2.4 Weather
- 2.5 Climate and natural vegetation
- Distribution
- Plate Tectonics
- Plate Boundaries | Plate Margins
Volcano case study - Mount Etna (2002-2003), Italy
- Volcano case study - Mount Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic of Congo
- Volcanic hazard management - Mount Rainier, USA
- Earthquakes
- Earthquake case study - 2005 Kashmir
- Earthquake case study - Chuetsu Offshore Earthquake - 2007
- Why was the Haitian Earthquake so deadly?
- Earthquakes - Managing the hazard
Can you describe the location of Mount Etna? Could you draw a sketch map to locate Mount Etna?
Case study task
Use the resources and links that can be found on this page to produce a detailed case study of the 2002-2003 eruption of Mount Etna. You should use the 'Five W's" subheadings to give your case study structure.
What happened?
The Guardian - Sicilian city blanketed in ash [28 October 2002]
When did it happen?
Immediately before midnight 26 October 2002 (local time=GMT+1), a new flank eruption began on Mount Etna. The eruption ended after three months and two days, on 28 January 2003.
Where did it happen?
The eruption occurred from fissures on two sides of the volcano: at about 2750 m on the southern flank, and at elevations between 2500 and 1850 m on the northeastern flank.
Why did it happen?
Mount Etna is a volcano. The reasons why Mount Etna is located where it is are complex. Here are some of the theories:
- One theory envisages a hot-spot or mantle-plume origin for this volcano, like those that produce the volcanoes in Hawaii.
- Another theory involves the subduction of the African plate under the Eurasian plate.
- Another group of scientists believes that rifting along the eastern coast of Sicily allows the uprise of magma.
Who was affected by it happening?
- The Italian Government declared a state of emergency in parts of Sicily, after a series of earthquakes accompanying the eruption of forced about 1,000 people flee their homes.
- A ship equipped with a medical clinic aboard was positioned off Catania - to the south of the volcano - to be ready in case of emergency.
- Emergency workers dug channels in the earth in an attempt to divert the northern flow away from the town of Linguaglossa.
- Schools in the town have been shut down, although the church has remained open for people to pray.
- Villagers also continued their tradition of parading their patron saint through the streets to the railway station, to try to ward off the lava flow.
- Civil protection officials in Catania, Sicily's second-biggest city, which sits in the shadow of Etna, surveyed the mountain by helicopter and were ready to send water-carrying planes into the skies to fight the fires.
- The tourist complex and skiing areas of Piano Provenzana were nearly completely devastated by the lava flows that issued from the NE Rift vents on the first day of the eruption.
- Heavy tephra falls caused by the activity on the southern flank occurred mostly in areas to the south of the volcano and nearly paralyzed public life in Catania and nearby towns.
- For more than two weeks the International Airport of Catania, Fontanarossa, had to be closed due to ash on the runways.
- Strong seismicity and ground deformation accompanied the eruption; a particularly strong shock (magnitude 4.4) on 29 October destroyed and damaged numerous buildings on the lower southeastern flank, in the area of Santa Venerina.
- Lava flows from the southern flank vents seriously threatened the tourist facilities around the Rifugio Sapienza between 23 and 25 November, and a few days later destroyed a section of forest on the southwestern flank.
- The eruption brought a heightened awareness of volcanic and seismic hazards to the Sicilian public, especially because it occurred only one year and three months after the previous eruption that was strongly featured in the information media.
Look at this video clip from an eruption on Mount Etna in November 2007. What sort of eruption is it?
There is no commentary on the video - could you add your own explaining what is happening and why?
You should be able to use the knowledge and understanding you have gained about 2002-2003 eruption of Mount Etna to answer the following exam style question:
In many parts of the world the natural environment presents hazards to people. Choose an example of one of the following: a volcanic eruption, an earthquake, a drought. For a named area, describe the causes of the example which you have chosen and its impacts on the people living there. [7 marks]
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Tectonic hazard case study: Mt Etna
Memrise – Mt Etna 2002
Get revising – Mt Etna 2002
- Erupted throughout November 2002
- Located on Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean.
Mt Etna is on a destructive plate boundary. The African plate is being subducted underneath the Eurasian plate. Mt Etna is a strato-volcano formed by repeated volcanic eruptions that have built up layers of lava and ash to create a cone.
Consequences Social
- Damaged more than 100 homes in Santa Venerina
- 1000 people had to leave their homes in Linguaglossa
- Schools were shut down in Linguaglossa (although the church remained open for people to pray)
- Catania airport was closed for 4 days as ash was covering the runway and threatened to clog aircraft engines
- The skiing season was about to start but the area was covered by the flowing lava.
- Lava flows engulfed a restaurant and push over three ski-lift pylons
Environmental
- A series of earthquakes, measuring up to 4.3 on the Richter scale
- Magma was thrown more than 100m into the air
- Lava ran quickly down the mountainside forming two seperate flows
- Ash fell on the nearby city of Catania and drifted as far south as Libya
- Destroyed hundreds of hectares of forest on the slopes of the volcano
Responses Short-term
- Holiday homes were taken over by local authorities to house the displaced people
- Residential areas such ass Linguaglosssa were evacuated due to the threat from the lava flow
- Villagers in Linguaglossa paraded their patron saint through the town to try to ward off the lava flow
- Italian government declared a state of emergency in parts of Sicily during the eruption
- Rescue workers battled to divert the lava that threatened to engulf a volcanic monitoring station at the foot of Mt Etna
- Army used bulldozers to crack the tarmac and build barriers in the Mt Etna visitor car park to try to create a channel that would redirect the lava away from populated areas
- Emergency workers dug channels to divert the northern flow away from Linguaglossa
- A ship equipped with a medical clinic was positioned off Catania to be ready in case of emergency
- Italian government gave tax breaks to the 300 families who were affected by the eruption
- Government also provided more than £5.6 million in immediate financial assistance
- Tourist facilities rebuilt
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Europe’s most active volcano , Mount Etna, has been hitting the headlines recently after a series of spectacular eruptions. In Etna’s first eruption of 2021, explosive lava fountains reached over 1500 m in one of the most amazing eruptions in decades.
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Mount Etna, Sicily, erupting in February 2021
Mount Etna, located on the island of Sicily, has been largely dormant for the past two years. The stratovolcano (composite) dominates the skyline of the Italian island, where it sits on the eastern coast.
Located between the cities of Messina and Catania, it is the highest active volcano in Europe outside the Caucasus – a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea – and the highest peak in Italy south of the Alps.
The recent activity is typical of a strombolian eruption among the normal activities of the more than 3,300-metre-high volcano. The recent eruption is the strongest explosion in the southern crater since it was discovered in 1971.
On Monday 22nd February 2021, at around 11 pm, the lava fountains, surrounded by gigantic clouds of smoke, exceeded 1,500 metres (4,900ft) in height, while thousands of rock fragments, some the size of fridges, were thrown from the crater into the sky for several kilometres.
Etna is a hyperactive volcano with over 3,500 years of historically documented eruptions. The volcano has been erupting on and off since September 2013. Since September 2019, it’s been erupting from its various summit craters virtually continuously. In December 2020, Etna’s explosive activity and lava output began to spike, and in February 2021, it has been launching fluid lava skywards.
Etna is an unusual volcano in that it can produce explosive eruptions of runny lava and release slower flowing, thick lava flows. Scientists are still trying to work out why this is the case.
The magma from the latest eruption appears to be coming up from deep within the mantle. Extremely hot, fluid magma is rapidly rising through the network of conduits within and below the volcano. However, there is another factor that is contributing to the current explosive eruptions.
There are high quantities of water vapour in Etna’s magma, which makes it explosive. The water does not cool the magma. As the molten magma approaches the surface, the pressure drops, and the bubble of water vapour expands violently, leading to lava being ejected out of the volcano.
Following each explosive lava fountain , less gassy magma lingers just below the vent. This is then cleared when a new volley of gassy magma rises from below. These explosive eruptions are known as volcanic paroxysms.
Authorities have reported no danger to the nearby towns, however, local airports have been temporarily closed, as has the airspace around the volcano. Etna’s last major eruption was in 1992. Despite the explosive nature of the recent eruption, there is no risk to the population, other than from the ash that covers buildings and smoke that can, after a few hours, cause breathing problems. In March 2017 vulcanologists, tourists and a BBC film crew were injured during an eruption when a flow of lava ran into snow, producing superheated steam that sent fragments of rock flying in all directions.
Further reading For a Volcanologist Living on Mount Etna, the Latest Eruption Is a Delight – Advisory – this article contains expletives (swear words).
In Pictures: Mount Etna eruption lights up Sicily’s night sky
Mount Etna: BBC crew caught up in volcano blast
Mount Etna illuminates night sky with 1,500-metre lava fountain
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- 1. Case Study: M.E.D.C Mount Etna Mount Etna is located on the west cost of the Italian island Sicily. Introduction Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the Italian Island of Sicily. It is on the convergent plate boundary which is between the African plate and the Eurasian plate. It is currently the tallest active volcano in Europe, with a hight of 3,329 m (10,922 ft). Mount Etna is roughly two and a half times the size of Mount Vesuvius in Pompeii, Italy. When Mount Etna erupts it produces fertile volcanic soil which supports extensive agriculture, with vineyards and orchards spread across the lower slopes of the volcano. Due to it's recent activity Mount Etna has been designated a Decade Volcano by the the United Nations. In June 2013, it was added to the list of of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The 2002 Eruption Mount Etna erupted throughout November in 2002. A series of Earthquakes, measuring up to 4.3 on the Richter scale, accompanied by several explosions that blackened the sky above the volcano. Clouds of gas and ash were forced from two vents, one a new one on the side of the volcano. This was followed by magma which was thrown more than 100 m into the air in a spectacular display. The lava then began to run quickly down the mountainside, forming two separate flows of lava. Ash fell continuously on to the city of Catonia and drifted as far south as Libya.
- 2. Causes 1. The oceanic crust subducts under the continental crust because it is denser than the ocean crust. 2. The Earth's mantle is so hot that it melts the rock turning it into magma. Volcanoes erupt when the oceanic crust moves in to continental crust and because the oceanic crust is denser it subducts into the earths mantle turning into magma. Under the Earth there is convection currents which move the magma, forcing it up through the vent of the volcano. Effects Economic Short term Long term Social Environmental -The eruption destroyed the tourist centre, it took the lava 2 weeks to reach it. - Many tourists stayed away, because the area wasn't safe. - It cost the government $8 million. -The lava covered a lot of the land and it didn't look that appealing for tourists. - The lava and ash killed all crops, and destroyed vineyards which was the main way people made their money. - People had to leave their homes before the lave reached them. - Tourists were not allowed to visit due to the eruption. - Airport closed. - The entire landscape was destroyed by lava and ash. - The ash caused a lot of pollution in the area. 3. The convection currents in the magma force up the magma through the vent of a volcano causing it to erupt.
- 3. Response The Italian government along with the US government acted really well to the eruption on Mount Etna. They acted fast to get all the people out of the area and move them to temporary accommodation. The US helped by sending army helicopters to drop 2 tonne concrete block to stop the lava flow. Dams made out of soil were built to re-direct the lava flow away from the tourist centre, 500kg of TNT was also ignited to divert the lava. The government helped by giving $8 million of aid. The airport was shut on the 29th July. These were all quick, short term responses to help the people as quickly as possible; the government also responded with Long term responses. The damaged buildings were rebuilt and scientists improved monitoring of the volcano. The government gave tax breaks to help villagers get through the crisis. Solutions It's not possible to prevent volcanic eruptions. However careful management of these hazards can minimise the damage that they cause. Prediction is the most important aspect of this because it gives people the time to evacuate and prepare. Warning Signs Monitoring Techniques Hundreds of small earthquakes are caused as magma rises up through cracks in the Earth's crust. Seismometers are used to detect earthquakes. Temperatures around the volcano rise as activity increases. Thermal imaging techniques and satellite cameras can be used to detect heat around the volcano. When a volcano is close to erupting it starts to release gases, when the sulphur level is high it is about to erupt. Gas samples can be taken using chemical sensors.
- 4. Conclusion Mount Etna is a very active volcano and can cause a lot of damage (as it did in 2002). Luckily it did not kill anyone when it erupted and we cannot prevent it from erupting but what we can do is be prepared. The response was very effective and because of this all deaths were prevented, but maybe this was because sicily is a M.E.D.C (more economically developed country.
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Volcanoes ~ GCSE Geography
Mt. Etna, Sicily (Case Study of a Volcano in an ME
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The generally accepted explanation for the formation of Mt. Etna is the subduction of part of the northward-moving African Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate.
Mount Etna case study
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In the late 1500, one French village’s residents didnt think ‾ ( 1 ) \overset{(1)}{{\underline{\text{In the late 1500, one French village's residents didnt think}}}} In the late 1500, one French village’s residents didnt think ( 1 ) it was strange to try animals in court. Swarms of vine weevils were destroying the grape crops in St. Julien, a well known village in the wine-making region ‾ ( 2 ) \overset{(2)}{{\underline{\text{a well known village in the wine-making region}}}} a well known village in the wine-making region ( 2 ) . The people sought recourse against these ever-present, devillike creatures ‾ ( 3 ) \overset{(3)}{{\underline{\text{recourse against these ever-present, devillike creatures}}}} recourse against these ever-present, devillike creatures ( 3 ) . Desperate, the villagers hired lawyers; two of them, in fact, to bring ‾ ( 4 ) \overset{(4)}{{\underline{\text{lawyers; two of them, in fact, to bring}}}} lawyers; two of them, in fact, to bring ( 4 ) the insects to justice. The lawyers met with their clients ‾ ( 5 ) \overset{(5)}{{\underline{\text{clients}}}} clients ( 5 ) , as a result, the lawyers wrote a statement. The lawyers asked for three things ‾ ( 6 ) \overset{(6)}{{\underline{\text{for three things}}}} for three things ( 6 ) appointment of a lawyer for the weevils, inspection of the fields, and anathematization of the insects. According to the A m e r i c a n H e r i t a g e D i c t i o n a r y ‾ ( 7 ) \overset{(7)}{{\underline{{American~ Heritage~ Dictionary}}}} A m er i c an Her i t a g e D i c t i o na ry ( 7 ) , the Greek word anathema, in this case, means, "an ecclesiastical ban, curse, or excommunication." ‾ ( 8 ) \overset{(8)}{{\underline{\text{anathema, in this case, means, "an ecclesiastical ban, curse, or excommunication."}}}} anathema, in this case, means, "an ecclesiastical ban, curse, or excommunication." ( 8 ) (Among the legal precedents was a case in which the court excommunicated moles in Italy (A.D. 824).) ‾ ( 9 ) \overset{(9)}{{\underline{\text{in Italy (A.D. 824).)}}}} in Italy (A.D. 824).) ( 9 ) The trial lasted some eight months, but no one knows how it ended, the last page of the archives ‾ ( 10 ) \overset{(10)}{{\underline{\text{ended, the last page of the archives}}}} ended, the last page of the archives ( 10 ) was destroyed.
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Mt Etna Case Study 2012
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The photo above shows snow-capped Mount Etna belching smoke and ash during the morning of March 4. 2012. as viewed from Catania. on the island of Sicily in Italy. This was actually Etna’s third eruption episode of 2012. The source of the pictured eruption was a new cinder cone on the southeast flank of this stratovolcano ’s primary crater.
Wednesday. January 4. 2012. MEDC Comparison Case Study- (Mount. Etna) MEDC Case Study- Mount. Etna. Italy. Diagram explanation of the cause of Mount Etna eruptions. Diagram. Stages. The denser Eurasian plate is subducted under the lighter African plate. forming a . subduction zone. The denser Eurasian plate is destroyed under the immense heat and pressure turning it into lava . The …
Geography Case Study: Mount Etna. Sicily Mount Etna in Sicily. Location: NE Sicily. Italy. More than 25% of Sicily’s population live on Etna’s slopes. with Catania city at its base. The Volcano: Active. composite (stratovolcano). formed by the Eurasian plate subducting beneath the African. 3350m in height and growing. Key . . .
- Case Study: Mount Etna Where did it happen? Mount Etna I found on the convergent boundary between the African plate and the Eurasian plate. It is located on the north east side of the island of Sicily. Mount Etna is a stratovolcano and is tallest active volcano on The European continent standing at 10. 922 ft.
- georgetickner mt etna. Living In A Treehouse On The Hawaii’s Big Island! Mahinui Na Lani. Gopro Hero6 Black — Duration: 7:17. Joey Riz Recommended for you
- Case Study: M. E. D. C Mount Etna Mount Etna is located on the west cost of the Italian island Sicily. Introduction Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the Italian Island of Sicily. It is on the convergent plate boundary which is between the African plate and the Eurasian plate.
- Case Study Mt Etna. 1. 0 / 5. Hide Show resource information. Geography; Case studies; A2/A-level; AQA; Created by: Lee Sargeant; Created on: 18–04–16 19:02; Where is Mt Etna located? Above Catiana. Sicily. italy. (eastern side) 1 of 6. What is the date of the Mt Etna Volcanic Eruption? 1991–3 and serious eruption 2002–3. 2 of 6 . How many people were killed? 77. 3 of 6. what is the Volcano . . .
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Mount Etna has erupted over 200 times since its first noted eruption in 1500 B.C. Mount Etna is the largest and most active volcano in Europe. The largest eruption took place in 1669 when the lava flowed over 10 miles. This eruption displac...
There are several advantages to living near Mt. Etna, Sicily, including fertile soil, warm weather, beaches, wine and food, according to Sicily Travel Portal. The history of Catania, just 16 miles from the volcano, goes back to 750 B.C.
Mount Etna has destroyed numerous towns since its first recorded eruption in 122 B.C., including the towns of Nicoli, Catania and Zafferana. In addition to destroying towns, the volcano has caused thousands of fatalities and caused environm...
The eruption brought a heightened awareness of volcanic and seismic hazards to the Sicilian public, especially because it occurred only one year
Tectonic hazard case study: Mt Etna · A series of earthquakes, measuring up to 4.3 on the Richter scale · Magma was thrown more than 100m into the air · Lava ran
Europe's most active volcano, Mount Etna, has been hitting the headlines recently after a series of spectacular eruptions.
Etna volcano as a case study, we discuss the geochemical data streams observed. The signals indicate a long-lasting prelude stage to eruption, starting in 2017
1669: Etna's most powerful recorded eruption. -Extensive lava flows flow from Etna engulfed the village of Nicolosi (31.8km away from Etna) Explosions destroyed
The 2002 Eruption Mount Etna erupted throughout November in 2002. A series of Earthquakes, measuring up to 4.3 on the Richter scale, accompanied
It contains Case Studies about both LEDCs and MEDCs, Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines and Mount Etna in Sicily, Hope this Helps All Those Crammer's Out
Spectacular photographs of Mount Etna erupting in July 2001.
Mount Etna is Europe's highest and most active volcano. The lava type erupting out of Mount Etna is viscous and sticky, therefore it is slow
Date/Time of eruption. 1991-92 event 2001-02 event. Background of Mt. Etna. Most active volcano in Europe Frequently erupts over the last 20 years. Nature:
Case Study: Mount Etna Where did it happen? Mount Etna I found on the convergent boundary between the African plate and the Eurasian plate. It