Paroxismo de Etna SE nuevo cráter 16-17 noviembre de 2013
The 16th paroxysm of Etna's New SE crater occurred during the night 16-17 Nov 2013. Its peak phase with strong pulsating lava fountains was between midnight and 5 am. After taking a plane that arrived in Catania at 23:00, Tom hurried up the mountain and was lucky to be able to assist the main phase of the eruption from close-up. For videos, click here.

Intense strombolian activity starts to merge into fountains after midnight, and a steam and ash plum... [info]
(960 Éxitos)
(960 Éxitos)

Powerful jets of gas eject a lava fountain, bright enough to take hand-held shots (from the way up) ... [info]
(1145 Éxitos)
(1145 Éxitos)

Liquid white lava erupts from the summit vent of the New SE crater. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
(1116 Éxitos)
(1116 Éxitos)

Lava fountain about 400 m high. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
(993 Éxitos)
(993 Éxitos)

Bombs are thrown to more than 1 km height and land all over the crater and its feet. (Photo: Tom Pfe... [info]
(952 Éxitos)
(952 Éxitos)

Strong pulsating fountains play from the cone for several hours (picture around 3am). (Photo: Tom Pf... [info]
(981 Éxitos)
(981 Éxitos)

The bright glow illuminates the partially snow-covered surfaces of the mountain. The 2002 eruption c... [info]
(981 Éxitos)
(981 Éxitos)

A heavy plume of ash rises several km into the sky. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
(1068 Éxitos)
(1068 Éxitos)

The plume drifts to the east where ash fall occurs. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
(898 Éxitos)
(898 Éxitos)

At about 3:30, fountains start to decrease slowly. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
(750 Éxitos)
(750 Éxitos)

Still, some jets reach several hundred meters in height. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
(887 Éxitos)
(887 Éxitos)

Moon setting behind the 2002 cones. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
(887 Éxitos)
(887 Éxitos)

A lava flow erupts from the eastern flank of the cone. Red glow is mirrored on the icy surface in fr... [info]
(665 Éxitos)
(665 Éxitos)

Reflected glow on the snow on the eastern flank of the 2002 cones. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
(1017 Éxitos)
(1017 Éxitos)

Lava glow illuminates the ground. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
(548 Éxitos)
(548 Éxitos)

La luna ha hundido detrás de los conos de 2002 y la erupción está disminuyendo lentamente. (Photo: T... [info]
(1451 Éxitos)
(1451 Éxitos)

Dawn approaches - wide-angle view from the rim of Valle del Bove, with lights along the Strait of Me... [info]
(652 Éxitos)
(652 Éxitos)

Lava flow on the east flank of the New SE crater (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
(647 Éxitos)
(647 Éxitos)

Lava flow and falling bombs on the southern flank. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
(954 Éxitos)
(954 Éxitos)

The new lava flow from the saddle vent (south side) and falling bombs. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
(538 Éxitos)
(538 Éxitos)

Throughout the paroxysm, large magma bubbles erupt with incredible force and loud detonations, sendi... [info]
(649 Éxitos)
(649 Éxitos)

Shortly before dawn, the fountains decrease back to intermittent, still strong strombolian explosion... [info]
(546 Éxitos)
(546 Éxitos)

Erupting New SE crater at dawn. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
(494 Éxitos)
(494 Éxitos)

Strombolian explosion at dawn. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
(473 Éxitos)
(473 Éxitos)

The southern lava flow is emplaced over the one from last week, and travels about to the Torre del F... [info]
(484 Éxitos)
(484 Éxitos)

Strombolian explosion at dawn and the eastern lava flow. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
(571 Éxitos)
(571 Éxitos)

The cone has probably grown about 20 meters during this eruption. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
(554 Éxitos)
(554 Éxitos)

Each bubble explosion is followed by the ejection of a denser mass of liquid lava. (Photo: Tom Pfeif... [info]
(547 Éxitos)
(547 Éxitos)

Morning mood. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
(514 Éxitos)
(514 Éxitos)

A clear morning with the earth's shadow in the sky. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer) [info]
(597 Éxitos)
(597 Éxitos)

The eruption has ended, but the New SE crater continues to produce strombolian activity all day. (Ph... [info]
(482 Éxitos)
(482 Éxitos)

View from the Valle del Bove in the evening. The eastern lava flow is still active and the NSEC stil... [info]
(586 Éxitos)
(586 Éxitos)