Week 4 Etna Trip

For this week's travel journal, my wife and I decided to travel to Mt. Etna in Sicily, Italy. When we first got to Sicily, I got my first good look at Etna. It was the classic volcano cone shape, with visual paths carved out where lava had previously flowed, so I knew it was a composite volcano. I found this strand, as usually composite volcanoes are located along the “Ring of Fire” surrounding the Pacific ocean. As we got closer to the top, I saw black magma rocks, and no vegetation whatsoever. This led me to conclude that the volcano was fairly active, which was confirmed by the signage. There was a fair amount of steam coming off the top of Etna, so I knew she was active. I imagine this gas was due to the volatiles in the lava.  Judging by this gas, I would have to assume that the volcano is active and at risk of erupting. This was confirmed on our way down when I swear I felt the earth rumble. This is a tell-tale sign that eruption is near. Overall we enjoyed the trip, but I must admit I was relieved when we left.

 This was taken towards the top of Etna. You can really see here how baren the landscape is.

Another photo showing the steam coming off Etna.