Starting at 16:46 on 3 July 2019, a violent paroxysmal explosive sequence occurred which affected the central-southern area of the Stromboli crater terrace. From the images of the surveillance cameras of the INGV Etna Observatory (INGV-OE) it was possible to distinguish two main explosive events very close together, respectively at 16:46:10 and 16:46:40. The sequence was preceded, at 16:44, by some lava overflows from all the active mouths of the crater terrace.
INGV personnel in the field observed an eruptive column that rose over 2 km above the summit area dispersing in a south-westerly direction. The products generated by the explosive sequence fell down the sides of the volcano. The analysis of the seismic network data made it possible to identify, in addition to the major explosions, about 20 minor explosive events. After the end of the paroxysmal phase, the amplitude of the volcanic tremor significantly decreased.
The evolution of the phenomena is continuously followed through the monitoring networks and by the personnel in the field of the Sections of INGV, the Etna Observatory of Catania, the Vesuvian Observatory of Naples and Palermo Geochemistry.
Images of the paroxysmal explosive sequence taken by the surveillance cameras of the INGV Osservatorio Etneo. to)lava overflows from the active mouths of the crater terrace; b) the first of the two major explosions of the sequence taken by the thermal camera of Pizzo sopra la Fossa; c) second major explosion of the sequence, about thirty seconds after the first; d) the first major explosion, taken by the thermal camera at an altitude of 400 masl