Eruptive Mt. Etna Quiets Down

CREDIT: Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon/NASA View full size image

After a brief spurt of activity on April 9th and 10th, 2011, Mount Etna is relatively quiet again, according to a NASA statement.

Except for a thin ribbon of fresh lava, pristine snow covers the summit of the volcano in this natural-color satellite image. In addition to lava and ash (now hidden beneath snow), the eruption generated small pyroclastic flows.

These flows were generated by the violent interaction between hot lava and deep snow.

• Mount Etna Erupts!
• Image Album: Volcanoes from Space