Etna update, 16.12.2022:
During the past week, clouds have often hampered webcam observations of Mount Etna's summit area. At times, however, gaps in the clouds also allowed a view of the eruptive events.
During the past 7 days, lava emission has continued at the northeast base of the New Southeast Crater. The lava flow continued to move in a northeasterly to northerly direction and poured into the Valle del Leone. The front advanced a little further in a northerly direction. From December 15th it reached the valley floor of the Valle del Leone at an altitude of approx. 2500 - 2600 m. Meanwhile, below the effusive vent, a fan-shaped lava field has developed. Several narrow streams moving in this field and keep changing their position slightly.
Furthermore, I could not observe explosive activity either at the effusive vent or at the Southeast Crater complex. In the summit area of the New South East crater only fumaroles continuously released gas.
Meanwhile, in the Bocca Nuova there was strong and often pulse-like increased gas emission. Only weak gas emission was visvile at NE Crater and Voragine.
During the last 7 days the tremor was at an average level and showed only minor fluctuations [1].
[1] INGV-Sezione di Catania. 2022. Home. TREMORE VULCANICO. ECNE
