Eruptions of Mt Enta (MEDC case study) 1991-3

Located on the Island of Sicily

25% of the population live on its slopes - fertile soil/perfect for vineyards and olive groves

Located between the cities of Catania and Messina

erupted every year from 2001

Europes most highest and active volcano - 3,310km above sea level

Cause of the Volcano

- Destructive margin - subduction of the African Plate under the Eursain plate - also part of the chain that produced Vensuviuas  but a different part of the volcanic arc

- stratovolcanoe with several small calderas the most notiable being Valle De Bore 5-10km U shaped caldera

Lava began to pout from vents on the eastern flank in the Valle De Bore, it began to advance down the moutnain to the settlement of Zafferiana

The government tried to put protection methods when they knew it was erupting

1. Earth Barrier in 1991 constructed across the Valle De Bore

• Several tens of metres of high
• 400m long

held back the lava for several months with the aim to slow the flow and temporarly hold it whilst other measures were introduced

In spring of 1992 lava began to spill over the barrier and down the valley leading to Zafferana

smaller earth barriers were erected across the valley but where easily taken over

see previous card for earth barriers

2. Decision to block the flow by blocking primary feder channel

attemoted by dropping concrete blocs from the helicopters through the upper tube

3 Blasted openings by explosived in the lava tube, encouraged new direction of flow. It stopped before reaching Zaffrana - 10 months in 1993

The sucsess of these measures depended on the

the effusion rates

high levels of eruptive rates

possibility of diverting the lava flow2

Not possible to stop all flow on all occasions as with 2002 eruptions

2002

Huge column of ash thrown up and despotied as far away as Libya 600km away across the med

earthquakes of 3-4 magnitide

Rising magma caused eastern flanks to slip by 2m

lava flows

airspace closed due to ash cloud - shut for 2 weeks

agriculture effected which is big part in the economy

Ski resort of Piano Provenzana on north eastern side destroyed by lava flow

Catania effected from Ash

Local businesses impacted

no deaths