Written by Staff Writer
CNN
More than two months after a giant burst of lava unleashed its after-effects on Spain’s La Palma island, Italy’s Mount Etna continues to give international news organizations plenty to report on.
The Italian volcano has spewed lava eruptions since the beginning of May, and is still working off steam, spewing steam and ash up to 3,000 meters up into the atmosphere.
The most recent lava flow has concentrated in a corridor between the Tiber River and Vesuvius in the southern part of the island, where roads have been closed to prevent eruption damage to electrical and communications lines.
In a video posted by CNN on Thursday, reporter Ugo Mercado described how lava has traveled for several kilometers between Etna’s caldera and the Mediterranean Sea in a lightning-fast blur.
The date of the lava flow will not be known until scientists can date it with ground-penetrating radar, in order to make observations on how the pressure of the lava has reduced.
The lava was left behind by magma that pushed out over 60 meters of lava over the course of two days last month.
La Palma itself, a volcanic outcrop similar to Hawaii’s Big Island, is inhabited by about 2,500 people.
As well as continuing its dangerous activity, Etna is also spreading out.
The eruption happened 10 kilometers (6 miles) southwest of Italy’s official boundaries with Sicily.