After several weeks of closure, the access to the summit of Stromboli for guided tours has been reopened. It is mandatory to be accompanied by one of authorized guides.

Following the strong explosions on 30 June that prompted the Italian Civil Protection to close the summit for visitors, the activity at Stromboli volcano has been normal the past days. The closure to the summit area remains, and visitors are only allowed to go up to the 400 m viewpoint. The regular excursions to the summit are suspended for now.
As soon as there are updates, we will post them here.

A series of strong eruptions took place at the summit craters of Stromboli between 16h33 and 16h35 local time on 30 June, the strongest at 16h35. The access to the summit has been closed.

An ash eruption occured from SE crater on Etna on the evening of 8 April. Pictures from the eruption can be found at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bretscher/sets/72157623824783982/

A powerful explosion took place at Stromboli volcano, as Sonja Calvari from INGV Catania reports to the volcano list. Here's the original report:
"Stromboli volcano on 8 November produced a major explosion from the vents in the central crater zone, fragmenting and blowing out part of the eastern flank of the cinder cone. The explosion produced an eruptive column more than 350 m high that was drifted SE by the wind. The explosion was soon followed by a lava flow erupted from the
widened central vent. The lava flow spread within the crater depression for a few minutes, and reached the maximum estimated lenght of ~60 m. Lava flow within the crater depression formed also between 22 and 25 April, on 3 May, and on 30 August 2009. After the 8 November explosion, the explosive activity returned to the background levels."

It seems that the activity reported from 6 November was not strombolian activity but rather the formation of a new collapse pit on the E flank of SE crater, explosing hot gasses and rocks that produced the glow visible on the webcams. Bad weather conditions have hampered inspections on site, but eruptive tremor is absent. However, Etna volcano could erupt any time as measurements indicate that the magma level inside the conduits is high.

Mt Etna volcano is active again. As INGV Catania reports, the activity seems to have started on the evening of 6 November and consists in strombolian explosions from a vent in the eastern depression at the foot of SE crater.

The effusive eruption at Etna's NE flank has ended on the evening of 6 July after 14 months of moderate to weak lava emission, Boris Behncke reports on his flickr website.
Vigorous degassing at Bocca Nuova as well from SE crater and possibly deep-seated explosions inside NE crater (reported by mountain guides) might be signs that the next activity at Etna might be from the summit craters in the near to medium future at Etna volcano.

Since Friday last week, access to the summit of Stromboli is repopened. Strong activity from several vents at the crater continues.

Powerful explosion from the central crater, throwing bombs onto and beyond Pizzo

As observed during an ongoing tour with Tom and a small group, the activity at Stromboli volcano is usually strong. Explosions from several vents, often accompanied by loud thundering noises that can be heard on the whole island, occur frequently from seveal vents, and often throw blocks and incandescent bombs to up to 400 m height. Bombs are sometimes hitting the trail and the Pizzo, which must be considered very dangerous to stay at. The access to the summit is therefore, for the time being, closed to visitors, but the viewpoint on the Sciara del Fuoco at 400 m provides excellent and impressive viewing opportunities.

It was reported that during 5-11 January activity from Etna's summit craters was observed, but bad weather prevented direct inspection of the summit area. Degassing was seen from the NW Bocca Nuova vent, from the walls and floor of Southeast crater, and along summit fumarolic fields. The fissure E of the summit craters continued to produce active lava flows until the end of the fissure, along the W wall of the Valle del Bove.

Photo taken around 06 h local time (GMT+1) on 1 January 2008, from Boris' home in Trecastagni on the southeast side of Etna.

The eruption of Mount Etna in Sicily, initiated on 13 May 2008, is continuing into the new year and is thus "The 2008-2009 eruption" of this volcano. Lava continues to issue quietly from the lower end of an eruptive fissure on the upper east flank, feeding several short incandescent lobes. The activity is going on like this since many months, and shows no signs of ending soon. ---
Source: Boris Behncke

The eruption which had started on 10 May this year, still continues with weak emission of lava from the fissure vents east of SE crater at 2900 m a.s.l.
The lava continues to flow into the Valle del Bove, but for most of the time and its way, the active lava is hidden inside crusted-over channels and tubes.

The eruption at the May 13 fissure at Etna volcano continues. The lava flow into Valle del Bove is still alimentated, although the intensity of spattering from the upper vents at 2800 m elevation has decreased since 17 July.

The eruption at Etna continues with strombolian activity from two vents in the upper part of the May 13 fissure and the emission of a lava flow into Valle del Bove.

The eruption at Etna volcano continues and has even increased slightly, according to observations during our recent tour (7-15 June) and informataion from INGV Catania. Two vents on the May13 fissure continue to display weak to moderate strombolian activity and feed an active lava flow into Valle del Bove, with fronts reaching 1900 m elevation, NE of the Monti Centenari.

As INGV Catania reports, the mild strombolian activity and small effusion of lava from the 13 May eruptive fissure continue.

Over the last days, the activity at the May 13 eruptive fissure has been slighlty increasing. Charles Rivière reports lava fountaining took place at the upper vents of the fissure during the night of 4-5 June.

Strombolian explosion from a vent at 2800m a.s.l. on the May 13 eruptive fissure (Etna volcano)

The eruption at Etna that had started spectacularly on May 13, is still continuing, although lava emission had drastically decreased shortly after the onset of the eruption.
Some field observations made by our team during May 23 and 24: one of the several vents aligned on the impressive fissure below the E side of SE crater was still spattering and erupting small strombolian fountains at irregular intervals of 30-60 minutes. Another two vents just above it were emitting ash, dark fragments and occasionally glowing bombs at less infrquent intervals. The active vent at times shows powerful explosions throwing bombs to several hundred meters height. One of these was witnessed at (too) close range on May 25 in the evening, but it was possible to shelter from falling blocks under a huge block thrown out at the opening of the fissure. The lava flow continues weakly, with a barely incandescent front of tumbling, glowing blocks at the active front on the steep wall of the Valle del Bove...

Our team member Marco Fulle who just visited Stromboli volcano with a small group reports strong, candle-like eruptions from the NE vent in the central crater of Stromboli volcano, that reach 300 m height. A similar eruption style had been present during much of 2006 and sometimes in 2007.