Mount Etna Erupts Again, Ash Threatens Catania Airport
Listen to the story
Mount Etna, one of the most active volcanoes in Europe, has started a new eruption. The activity is coming from the Voragine crater, one of the summit craters on the volcano in Sicily, Italy.
The eruption includes loud explosions and large amounts of ash rising into the sky. Some of this ash has been falling over the nearby city of Catania.
Experts monitoring the volcano say the seismic tremor, which measures shaking underground caused by moving magma, has been growing stronger. A rise in tremor often means the eruption could become more powerful.
The ash cloud is now a serious concern for Catania Airport, one of the busiest airports in southern Italy. Volcanic ash can damage plane engines and reduce visibility, so airports often close flights when ash levels are high.
Authorities are closely watching the situation to decide whether flights need to be stopped or delayed. This is not the first time Etna's activity has affected the airport; ash from earlier eruptions has closed it before.
For now, officials have not confirmed exactly how long the eruption will last or how much ash will continue to fall. People living near the volcano are used to this kind of activity, since Etna erupts fairly often.
Vocabulary8 words
- volcanoes
- mountains that can send out fire, smoke, and rock
- eruption
- when a volcano suddenly sends out fire, smoke, or ash
- crater
- the big hole at the top of a volcano
- explosions
- loud, sudden bursts with a lot of force
- ash
- very small grey pieces that come out of a volcano
- seismic tremor
- shaking of the ground, often before or during an eruption
- magma
- very hot liquid rock under the ground
- visibility
- how far or clearly you can see
Quiz
Answer key
1. Voragine 2. It can damage engines and reduce visibility 3. False
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Mount Etna, one of the most active _____ in Europe, has started a new _____. The activity is coming from the Voragine _____.
The eruption includes loud _____ and large amounts of _____ rising into the sky.
Experts monitoring the volcano say the _____ has been growing stronger.
The ash cloud is now a serious concern for Catania Airport. Volcanic ash can damage plane engines and reduce _____.
This is not the first time Etna's activity has affected the airport; ash from earlier eruptions has closed it before.