Europe's Most Active Volcano Is Sliding Into The Sea, And It Will Cause Devastation

[Judi Lynn]

Scientists are closely monitoring it.

DAVID NIELD 27 MAR 2018

Even the most fearsome forces of nature can't escape the laws of physics: the fiery furnace of Mount Etna is slowly sliding into the Mediterranean Sea at a steady rate, according to the latest measurements.

It's the first time scientists have been able to observe the movement of a volcano in its entirety, thanks to more than 100 GPS stations dotted around the sides of Mount Etna, which have been logging positional data for the past 11 years.

The slide is slow but has now become unstoppable, scientists say – and as the volcano sinks, we could be looking at a series of extra hazards for those around the area of Sicily, including the hordes of tourists and scientists who regularly turn up to take a peek at the natural wonder.

"Previous studies of long-extinct volcanoes found those sliding downslope in a similar way have resulted in catastrophic landslides later in their history," says lead researcher John Murray, from The Open University in the UK.

More:
https://www.sciencealert.com/europes-most-active-volcano-mount-etna-slowly-sliding-into-the-sea

[dhol82]

1. Visited that area about four years ago

We were in a Village just across the valley. You could see the smoke rising from the sides of the volcano.
Wild!