May 19, 2021, ~ Paroxysm at Etna's Southeast Crater ~ Mount Etna, Italy

In the early hours of May 19, 2021, Etna surprised us with a new paroxysmal episode at the Southeast Crater, after a period of relative calm that lasted several weeks. The activity began shortly after midnight (local time) with faint flashes at the "mouth of the saddle" of the Southeast Crater followed by Strombolian explosions. At around 03:00, the activity switched to a lava fountain, and an overflow of lava began from the southern flank of the cone, feeding a south-westerly lava flow. An eruptive cloud rich in pyroclastic material was formed, and ash and lapilli fell on the eastern side of the volcano.

Starting from 05:00 the activity has slowly decreased; the explosive activity ceased around 06:45, and the lava flow was no longer powered.

These video shots were taken by the volcanologist Boris Behncke of the INGV-Etneo Observatory from Tremestieri Etneo, 20 km south of the Southeast Crater. The audio is the real one, dominated by birdsong at dawn, but in some moments you can also hear the roars of the activity in progress.