Mount Etna is active volcano built up with ashes and lave on the east coast of Sicily Lava flow in Mt. Etna has been among the new highlights from a quite a few times. The March eruption in Mt Etna spews magma into the air while injuring 10 people in this act. According to the researchers, these eruptions are evident to the viewers from away. For those living in the mount or up for hiking, this is a reminder that the volcano is quite active. Detailed hazard maps have been prepared by the researchers while examining the lava flow in Mt. Etna. Half of Etna’s eruptions noted in the history have been a hazard for the human property. The human property is at stake because of the flow of lava invasion. The human property suffering the most is the cultivated lands. On a number of occasions, the buildings have suffered too. Population centres are less affected the lava flow in Mt. Etna in the past. No evident reports about the partial or complete destruction of the population centres have been recorded. In the forty years course, destruction of population centres has appeared only three times. This was found in the years 1651-1653, 1669, and 1928.
From coastal areas to Etna’s summit the risk of the lava flow hazards has found to be increased. Since the researchers in 2005 have keenly observed these areas, they were able to found out that the places having high-risk rates. In the densely populated area on the southeast flank of Etna, there is high risk for the flow of invasion. This also includes the area of Trecastagni. This hazard zone is not enough planners of land use and the people associated with the civil defence. The boundaries of the hazard zone are still found to be vague. No indication of morphological changes has been done by the researchers on a scale of meters. Simulation of lava flow hazards in Mt. Etna has been studied in the recent years as well. In years 2009 and 2010 it was revealed that which areas will be the ones t get affected first. In this attempt, the help computer simulation was widely taken. After the involvement of tons of computer simulation, the researchers have been to figure out a hazard map for Etna indicating the most affected and the least affected areas due to the Mt. Etna lava flow. In this hazard map, the most affected areas are the areas of Pedara, Trecastagni, Mascalucia, Tremestieri, and a few more.
Due to the high intensity of Mt. Etna lava flow, there are high chances that the lava flow brings social and economic damage to the nearby area. Fast moving lava flows and eruptions are extending every bit with the passage of time. The local economy is recorded to suffer serious damages due to the destruction of cultivated lands and other useful buildings. The potential impacts of the future eruptions involved in this lava flow of Mt. Etna are increasing with the passage of time. The potential impacts are due to the extended area of the simulation of the lava flow. Regional economy, health and safety of the native people are at high risk. Exposure to the large population is increasing in the surrounding of Mt. Etna which is making the people observe the lava flow even from a large distance. Flank eruptions will be a cause of higher risk for the inhabitants due to its increasing intensity. Long-term hazards of the lava flow in Mt. Etna includes the future opening of the eruptive vents and lesser distance of populated area from the volcano summit.
Simulation of lava flow hazards in Mt. Etna has long and short-term effects. The increased intensity of the potential lava has made the researcher to highlight certain areas which will be most affected due to the lava flow. Destruction of cultivated lands and useful buildings has been evident from the past lava flow. The future hazards of the lava flow are observed in the possible openings for the volcano vents and in the enhanced population around the volcano summit. Due to the expected opening for volcano vents health and safety of the people in the surrounding area will be highly affected as well.
References:
SHIFF, B. (2017). Lava flows out of Mount Etna in Sicily. [online] ABC News. Available at: http://abcnews.go.com/International/lava-flows-mount-etna-sicily/story?id=46845119 [Accessed 23 Mar. 2018].
Negro, C., Cappello, A., Neri, M., Bilotta, G., Hérault, A. and Ganci, G. (2013). Lava flow hazards at Mount Etna: constraints imposed by eruptive history and numerical simulations. Scientific Reports, [online] 3(1). Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3861846/.
Klemetti, E. and Behncke., D. (2017). Etna Week (Part 3) – Etna’s Volcanic Hazards. [online] Big Think. Available at: http://bigthink.com/eruptions/etna-week-part-3-etnas-volcanic-hazards [Accessed 23 Mar. 2018].
