Mount Etna, towering above Catania, Sicily's second largest city,  has one of the world's longest documented records of historical  volcanism, dating back to 1500 BC. Historical lava flows of  basaltic composition cover much of the surface of this massive  volcano, whose edifice is the highest and most voluminous in  Italy. The Mongibello stratovolcano, truncated by several small  calderas, was constructed during the late Pleistocene and  Holocene over an older shield volcano. The most prominent  morphological feature of Etna is the Valle del Bove, a 5 x 10 km  horseshoe-shaped caldera open to  the east. Two styles of eruptive  activity typically occur at Etna. Persistent explosive eruptions, sometimes  with minor lava emissions, take place from one or more of the three  prominent summit craters, the Central Crater, NE Crater, and SE Crater  (the latter formed in 1978). Flank vents, typically with higher effusion  rates, are less frequently active and originate from fissures that open  progressively downward from near the summit (usually accompanied by  strombolian eruptions at the upper end). Cinder cones are commonly  constructed over the vents of lower-flank lava flows. Lava flows extend to  the foot of the volcano on all sides and have reached the sea over a broad  area on the SE flank. (Global Volcanism Program)  Etna Location: 37.734° N, 15.004° E Elevation: 3.350 m  August 2002 ccccccaclick on photos HOME