Etna 3.11.2000 Photo Page

Stephane Granier, Tom Pfeiffer, Mario Cipollini, Marco Fulle together with Silvia and Georg visited the Etna summit area during the first week of November 2000. Here we present photos taken on 3. November 2000 by SOL-team member Marco Fulle, some from inside Bocca Nuova during a wonderful windy day. These were recorded under considerable risk to Marco's personal safety and must under no circumstances be regarded as an invitation to approach Etna's summit craters, which, at the present time, are highly active and dangerous. To give a sense of the perspective, camera lens focal lengths are given (i.e. f=28mm). As usual the pictures on this page link to larger photos (about 40 to 100 KB). Photos not labelled otherwise are copyright by Marco Fulle; the two aerial shots at the end, labelled (JA) by Jürg Alean.
Abbreviations: BN = Bocca Nuova; SEC = South East Crater; TDF = Torre del Filosofo.

Etna 3.11.2000 Photo Page
Fish-eye photo (diagonal 180°) from BN SW rim. Photos taken past February and past May show that the active BN E vents are enlarging.
Etna 3.11.2000 Photo Page
f=28mm from BN W rim. Mario observes an ash eruption from the BN SE vent.
Etna 3.11.2000 Photo Page
f=135mm from BN SW rim. Strombolian explosions eject incandescent bombs from the NE vent.
Etna 3.11.2000 Photo Page
f=135mm from BN SW rim. Stephane investigates fumaroles inside BN.
Etna 3.11.2000 Photo Page
f=50mm from BN W rim. Strombolian explosions in the BN NE vent eject red bombs to heights of about 100 m with cannon-like detonations.
Etna 3.11.2000 Photo Page
f=50mm from BN W rim. The largest explosions eject huge bombs on the outer BN S flank, making an approach to the SE rim impossible.
Etna 3.11.2000 Photo Page
f=50mm from BN W rim. Suddenly and in the complete silence BN SE vent ejects jets of red bombs well beyond the BN S rim. Constellations Aries and Pisces in the sky.
Etna 3.11.2000 Photo Page
f=50mm from BN W rim. The first-quarter moon illuminates yellow sulfur deposits in the foreground within BN, while the E vents continue their activity.
Etna 3.11.2000 Photo Page
Fish-eye photo (diagonal 180°) from BN CENTER. Hours of observations indicated that the W rim of the NE vent was safe enough for a brief approach: at a distance of about 50 m, the SE vent sends bombs over all the inner S flank. In the sky, from left to right: Andromeda, Aries, Pisces, Aquarius, Cetus, Fomalhaut and the first-quarter moon in Capricorn.
Etna 3.11.2000 Photo Page
f=300mm from BN W rim. From left to right, Stephane, Silvia and Tom continue to observe the strombolian eruptions of the NE and SE vents. In the defocussed background, some bombs are flying while others have landed already on the inner flank of the NE vent.
Etna 3.11.2000 Photo Page
All sky fish-eye photo from TDF. Unlimited horizons of Mount Etna. At lower left is Montagnola, below the sun Monte Frumento Supino.
Etna 3.11.2000 Photo Page
f=28mm on SEC S flank. Winter is coming on Etna: ice arabesques on the fields of bombs released during the many recent SEC paroxysms.
Etna 3.11.2000 Photo Page
f=28mm at Primo Montarello (old cablecar station at 2611 m.a.s.l.). From left to right, Stephane, Silvia, Tom and Mario (standing) prepare a trip to BN.
Etna 3.11.2000 Photo Page
f=28mm in Nicolosi. November is the month of mushrooms on Etna. The chestnut trees favour the growth of top quality species. Nicolosi can be seen on the upper right in the next picture.
Etna 3.11.2000 Photo Page
(JA) 18.10.2000; f=35mm; from schedulred flight after takeoff from Catania airport. Strong powerful ash eruptions on the 17. and 18. October caused a brownish ash plume which drifted towards SE.
Etna 3.11.2000 Photo Page
(JA) 18.10.2000; f=35mm; from schedulred flight after takeoff from Catania airport. Jürg was quite glad to see that the aircraft would fly above, rather than through the plume when heading North towards Rome.