Page 93 - Super Earth Encyclopedia

FLANK ERUPTIONS

As well as erupting from the summit,
Etna also erupts from craters and fissures
Electric charges in on its slopes. These flank eruptions are less
the ash cloud spark explosive, but may produce dramatic fire
bolts of lightning.
fountains and fast-flowing lava that destroy
crops, houses, and even whole villages.

Ash clouds hurled into the
Molten rock atmosphere by big eruptions
blown from the may be up to 6 miles (10 km) high.
crater forms
airborne lava Lava flows down the flanks
bombs. of the volcano, where it cools
and turns to solid rock.
At least four ancient
volcanic cones lie
buried beneath Etna. Every eruption adds layers
of lava and ash that form
the cone of the volcano.
Sedimentary rock
layers formed before
the volcano existed.

FIRE AND STEAM
EUROPE’S

BIGGEST VOLCANO

Molten rock seeping up
from Earth’s mantle fills
a deep magma chamber.
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