Distant view from the east of Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy. On a hot evening in late August, rays from the setting sun backlight plumes of smoke and drifting clouds of sulphurous gas from Etna’s summit craters.

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Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy: distant view from the east, near the coastal town of Garre, on a hot late August evening. At around 3,326 m (10,900 ft), Etna is Western Europe’s highest active volcano. Activity began around 500,000 years ago. Since 2000, there have been four eruptions through flank vents (in 2001, 2002 - 2003, 2004 - 2005 and 2008 - 2009), as well as summit eruptions in 2006, 2007 - 2008, 2012, 2018 and 2021. The Parco dell’Etna regional authority safeguards 60,000 hectares of land above 800m (2,624 ft), extending from the summit down to surrounding towns and villages.

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Size: 4256px × 2832px
Location: Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

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