Mount Etna Análytical Text

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Mount Etna- MEDC
Content
Introduction 1
Body 2
Location 2
Plate Boundary 3
Impacts 4
The Natural Origination-Creation of the Mt. Etna 7
Living on Mount Etna´s Slopes, is it worth? 8
Preparations 10
Eruptive history and current state 11
Is the awesome volcano a force of nature or is it an act of God? 12
Personal Response 13Plus Annexes 13
Bibliography 15

Introduction
Facts About Mount Etna |
Location: | Island of Sicily, Italy |
Coordinates: | 37.734oN, 15.004oE |
Elevation: | 3,330 m |
Volcano Type: | Stratovolcano, Composite either |
Last Eruption: | On-going. 13/January/2011 |
Nearby Volcanoes: | Stromboli .Vesuvius |
For 4600 million years, since the earth was created, there have beenvolcanic eruptions. There are many kinds of volcano depending on the nature of the volcanic activity. One of these examples is the majestic Mt. Etna, located in Sicily, southwest of Italy. Mount Etna has a long history of frequent eruptions, yet over one million people live on its slopes. This is because of the fertile soils, rich orchards, vineyards and orange groves. There is also a thriving touristindustry, including skiing, which is a source of employment for many inhabitants. [1]
The elevation is 3323m/3.323 km. The Width of cone is– 40 km approx. [1]
Generally, the molten rock (lava) at very high temperature rises under enormous pressure from the upper mantle. The magma exploits weakness in the crust in order to force its way to the surface. This is common along tectonic platemargins, but can also occur where the crust is very thin, such as under Hawaii. [1]
Mount Etna is Europe’s highest and most active volcano. Towering above the city of Catania on the island of Sicily, it has been growing for about 500,000 years and is in the midst of a series of eruptions that began in 376 BC. 200 eruptions were recorded since then. More than 25% of Sicily’s population lives on Etna’sslopes. It is the main source of income for the island, both from agriculture (due to its rich volcanic soil) and tourism. [2][5]
Mount Etna’s strongest eruptions in 2002 were put/located in 3.9 VEI- Volcanic Explosivity Index. The four main craters of the Mt Etna are very active, among eruptions; the lava reduces its size gradually, depending on the VEI. [2]
Body
Italy
Sicily
Sicily
CrossArea Section
Mediterranean Sea or Ionian
Thyrrena Sea
Europe

Location

Plate Boundary
Now, the structure margin of the Mt. Etna is a rare example for a “destructive” margin. [3]
Etna, Europe's highest and most active volcano, lies in a structurally highly complex, and not yet fully understood, setting- which is reflected in the abundance and variety of - often controversial -models proposed for the volcano and its tectonic environment. Recently proposed breath-taking hypotheses as critical factors facilitating the up rise and eruption of magma:
1) Dislocation between the "Malta-Sicilian block" and the Ionian basin in the structure-framework of an asymmetric rifting process
2) Extensional tectonics leading to the formation of a graben in the Catania Plain3) Location of Etna at the intersection of a number of major structural lineaments
4) Intersection of structural breaks in the crust.
5) A hot spot- meaning that the crust is very thin so the magma can go through it easily, without any difficulty [3][10]
Volcanism and tectonics at Etna are clearly interacting, although the problem of cause and effect remains to be solved.[4]Scientists are still debating which best fits their data, and are using a variety of methods to build a better image of the Earth’s crust below the volcano.[2]
The reason why it can’t be fully said the exact plate boundary is because the Mediterranean is an extremely complex area, and the mechanism that gives rise to Etna is poorly understood. [3]
One of the results of being a destructive ¨rare¨...