The Stromboli volcano forms one of the Aeolian-islands in Italy. Not too far away is the island
named Volcano, which of course has its own volcano - named Volcano (what else?)
and the famous Etna-volcano on the eastern side of Sicily. The island of Stromboli is just 4
kilometers wide, 900 m asl, but unbelieveable 3.000 m above the bottom of the sea!
In fact it is a huge nearly 4.000 m high mountain, with 3/4 below sealevel...


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Stromboli is one of the most active volcanoes on the earth (even though it's beginning to be
quite a few such volcanoes). Stromboli has been erupting almost non-stop for the past 2.000
years (some scientists believe it to be about 5.000 years). Normally the eruptions consists of
minor gas-explosions that throws lavabubbles over the crater-rim. It has several such explosions
every hour. Larger eruptions are more seldom. When similar eruptions as those from Stromboli
happens other places, they are usually given the name 'strombolian eruptions'.

Friday, January 20th, 2012.
Volcanic activity has been reported on the evening of January 16th. The eruption have thrown lava on the slopes.

Saturday, October 2nd, 2004
The analysis of the images recorded from the television cameras placed on the Pizzo over the
Fossa at 400 m asl has allowed to characterize the eruptiva activity of the Stromboli.
In the examined period the activity has been produced from four eruptive mouths (bN1, bN2,
bC, bS) which all are open to the inside of the depression that occupies the crater-terrace.
Adverse weather conditions have limited the periods of observation to few hours each day.
In the days the 20-21-24. September lack of visibility of the crater-terrace has been total.



The intensity from the mouth bN1 the outbreaks has been lower-middle (projects caught
up the 100 meters over the mouth). The material emitted during the observed period has
been in prevalence fine (ash) to rough material (bombs and lapilli). At the bN2 there has
been observed sporadic events of low intensity. The mouth bC has shown a continuous activity
of weak spattering at times intense intensity. From the mouth bS one has observed mostly
ash emission of lower-middle intensity (that sometimes caught up the 100 meters of height)
and only on day 23 some outbreaks have exceeded the 150 meters of height.


In the diagram the every day medium frequency of the events are being visualized

Wednesday, May 15th, 2003
The Instituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia - Sezione di Catania has reported that the
explosions continue at the summit craters of Stromboli at a frequency of 12 per hour. Medium
levels of tremor are recorded similar to that of the past month. Four lava flows are present at
the base of crater 1. Three of these lava flows travel down the Sciara del Fuoco: two to reach
300 m asl, and one stops at 500 m asl. The inside of crater 3 has a temperature of 230 deg C,
and there is a fracture on the southern wall.

Wednesday, January 8th, 2003

The situation remains unchanged. Lava is still flowing, and risks for new landslides still keep
the islanders away from their home. New instruments are being set up on the island, and
also at sea, to alarm whenever new quakes or tsunamies develope.

Friday, January 3rd, 2003

   
A black ash-cloud hanging over the island to the left, og to the right you can follow the flow
of lava down the steep side of the island. Imagine how fast a new large flow will come down.
The ravine that forced the tsunami is estimated to have been of 4 million cubic meters!

   

More news are coming from Stromboli, but the one is more confusing than the other. One source now set the height of the tsunami to have been 20 m high. Pieces from a kitchen in the village were to be found more than 200 m away. See picture above in the lower right corner.

Of course several inhabitants now have returned, ignoring the risk of a new tsunami or worse.
They count to about 30 persons. At the same time there are still 10-15 voluteers from the
firedepartment engaged in moving cars and other expensive items to a more secure place.
35 pupils and students are going temporaily to school on one of the neighboring islands.

January 2nd, 2003

All remaining inhabitants of the Italian island of Stromboli have been evacuated amid fears
of further violent volcanic eruptions. On Monday part of the island's volcanic cone
about the size of a 60-storey building crashed into the sea, causing a tidal wave that
damaged boats and houses.

The latest fear is that a large reservoir of magma near the lip of the volcano could burst out
and make explosive contact with the sea. The reservoir is 300 metres in diameter, and lies
behind a "thin crust", some 200 metres below the crater. The sudden meeting of lava and sea
could cause send plumes of steam kilometres into the atmosphere, throwing big rocks large
distances.



Currently only thin streams of lava reach the sea. Bad weather conditions makes it very difficult
to land or fly over by helicopter to examine how things are developing. The last 27 people on
the island were evacuated on Thursday. The main danger at present was of further landslides.
Lava currently sticking to the steep slopes of the volcano could fall off.
(Based on reports from BBC and RAI-TV)

January 1st, 2003

møtet med havet som medførte tsunamibølgen

On December 28th, just before the end of the year 2002, INGV, Istituto Nazionale di
Geofisica e Vulcanologia, reported that a smoke and ash-column raised 200 m above the NE
Crater of Volcano, and that explosions suggested magma to be very close to the crater rim.
Not a bad guess, as another more forcefull explosion came at 18:30 in the evening,
that caused ash fallout on the village of Stromboli, and the opening of an eruptive fissure
trending NE-SW. A lavaflow came out from the base of the fissure, and three lava branches
were spreading within the Sciara del Fuoco. Within 30 minutes the flows reached the sea,
about 1 km away. The lavaflows were up to 300 m wide at the shore line, but very narrow
along the steep slope of Sciara del Fuoco. See the pictures below.


Picture taken with special camera to the left, and to the right where on the island it all happened. Notice the small village of Stromboli to the left of the picture.

The flow resumed over the next two days, and then again on December 30th about 13.25
a new, strong, explosion, ejected a great amount of ash that was now falling, mixed with rain,
over the village of Stromboli. The explosion must have caused a collapse of part of the lava
flow deposits (or more) along the Sciara del Fuoco, as a small tsunami was observed all along
the coast near the villages, from Ficogrande (up to the road) to Scari (up to the helipad).
Also in Ginostra boats were moved by the tsunami in the small harbour. The explosion
was apparently not so loud, and no earthquake was felt by the population.

Yesterday, December 31st, the tsunami phenomenon, which yesterday was defined "small" in
order to avoid useless alarms when news were still very confusing and contradictory, has
revealed hour after hour all its severity. The greatest damages were recorded in Ginostra,
but also in the village of Stromboli many boats were destroyed or taken away by the waves,
and many buildings were damaged. At least 3 tourists are reported injured, and other sources
talk of 6 injured in total. The tsunami has reached also the other Eolian islands and Milazzo
harbour, where 2 tankers suffered difficulties. During the evening, following the invitation of the
Civil Defense, tens of inhabitants and tourists voluntarily left the island. Now, if you belong to
one of those curious people that loves to risk their lives to see what can make their lives exciting,
then you ought to now that since yesterday moring NON-RESIDENT PEOPLE ARE NOT
ALLOWED TO LAND ON STROMBOLI.
(mostly from Stromboli Online)

Almost all the residents of a small island off Italy have left since a giant wave caused by volcanic
activity crashed into a coastal village. The wave was described as a 6 m high tsunami.
About 260 people have left Stromboli, fearful of what the island's volcano might do next after
it caused a massive wave to hit the village of Ginostra on Monday, injuring three people,
damaging several homes and overturning boats.

The situation still looks dangerous, according to scientists. All but a few rescue services and
essential supply boats have been forbidden from anchoring near the coast of Stromboli.
Stromboli has an official population of 450, but civil protection officials said there were only
300 there at the time because many people were already away due to the holidays and the
off-peak tourist season.

Foto: ©Sten Aabech

November 18th, 2000
  

At 13:00, 14:00 and 15:00 local time today

archive photo

Foto: ©Sten Aabech