On 7 March 2018 a violent explosive sequence occurred from one of the vents located in the northern area of the Stromboli crater terrace. A first explosion, which took place at 13:48 local time, emitted abundant ash mixed with incandescent material and blocks of lava which fell on the summit area, especially along the Sciara del Fuoco. The ash reached a height of more than 350 m above the vent and formed a plume that headed northeast, covering the northern part of the crater area. About 35 seconds after the first, a second, smaller explosion occurred, also from the same vent. In this case ash and coarser material (lapilli and bombs) were emitted which reached a height of about 100 m above the vent. The duration of the sequence was about 40 seconds overall.
Violent explosive sequences, like the one described, occurred in the recent past (July 26, October 23, November 1, December 1, 2017). These are more violent explosions than those of ordinary Strombolian activity, during which coarse material and ash are emitted, which fall back to the summit area.
These occasional and unpredictable events abruptly interrupt ordinary Strombolian activity. However, they are part of the volcanic phenomenology typical of Stromboli's summit activity characterized by explosions of variable energy.
Stromboli's activity is continuously monitored by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) through its Sections in Catania, Naples and Palermo.
Ash emission during the explosive sequence of 7 March seen by the video surveillance camera of the INGV-Osservatorio Etneo located at an altitude of 400 m asl The trail of fine material raised by the rolling of volcanic products along the Sciara del Fuoco can also be observed