The latest eruption, which began on Monday and is expected to last at least several more days, could be seen for miles. Mount Etna’s frequent eruptions have been watched and feared for thousands of years. An especially large one in the 17th century changed the shape of Sicily’s coastline with a huge outpouring of lava. More recent outbursts have tended to be smaller, but still dangerous enough to prompt evacuations of nearby villages and disrupt air traffic with plumes of smoke and ash.

Source: New York Times March 01, 2017 17:15 UTC