The eruption in Valle del Leone, which began on 12 May 2022, continues, between peaks and descents. The lava flowed from a fracture that opened on the north wall of the South East crater, the “youngest” of the summit cones of Etna. This was also the crater that had reached its current maximum elevation, surpassing the historic record of the nearby North East.

The last eruption, however, resulted in collapses, cracks and landslides that seriously damaged the structure of the South East. The last fracture always opened on the north wall in the afternoon of 20 May and now there are two lava flows that intertwine  in the Valle del Leone and then in the Valle del Bove.

Volcanologists constantly monitor the activity of the volcano, even if they have prohibited access to the summit areas, raising the alert level to yellow. However, the new ash emissions that occurred on May 21 suggest a lowering of the magma column, therefore perhaps starting  the end of the eruption. Or just … to the umpteenth change?