14 DAY TRIAL // For the first time in six months, the dreaded volcano called Etna, in Italy, is showing signs of activity. Its peaks are now releasing two massive volcanic plumes, one featuring mostly ash, while the other features mostly gas.
The plumes started emerging on October 26, following a few months of relatively low activity in one of Sicily's most dangerous active volcanoes.
The announcement was made by scientists at Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology's Etna Observatory. The team says that multiple plume columns are already a trademark for this volcano, adding that these phenomena are caused by very complex plumbing patterns under the mountain.
The image above was collected by Etna Observatory volcanologist Boris Behncke, and showcases the Northeast Crater and its gray ash plume to the right.
The peak on the left is the New Southeast Crater, which is currently throwing gases about 1 to 2 kilometers (around 1 mile) higher in the atmosphere than the other crater.