A Busy Year for Etna Continues with its 17th Eruption

We still have two months left in 2011 and Etna in Italy is already up to its 17th paroxysm*. Unlike many of the other events from earlier in the year, this paroxysm was a bit of a surprise. The Southeast Crater, where most of the activity in 2011 had been centered, went quiet after #16 on October 8. The previous paroxysms had been separated by 10 days, but with this new quiet, the question was what might come now - and whether the busy year was over for the Silician volcano. However, after an extra 5 days of waiting, Etna decided to add to the collection and a new eruption started and this time, it didn't even offer many of its usual seismic clues that a new paroxysm was on the way. Instead, the Southeast Crater began heating up and before you knew it, new lava flows were issuing from the vent and ash/lapilli were falling in areas around Etna. You can see some of the great pictures and webcam captures for the eruption that many Eruptions readers captured. It seems like Etna has been making a habit out of erupting at night, so the lava flows are quiet spectacular (see images below). You can check out some AP video of the eruption showing the fountaining at the crater (up to 100 meters) and the lava flows that crept their way down the slopes of the volcano - or this video that gets some close up shots of the eruption. * So, wonder what exactly is a "paroxysm"?