Etna (Italy): Recorded Eruptions and Historical Activity

Mount Etna is a stratovolcano located in Italy, rising to an elevation of 3,357 meters within a subduction zone and continental crust tectonic setting. Maintained by the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program, the official record documents 147 confirmed eruptions, with activity stretching from ancient prehistoric periods through recent decades.

Overview of Recorded Eruptions

The historical and prehistoric record for Etna contains 147 confirmed eruptions. The earliest recorded eruption in the dataset began around 6190 BCE with an estimated start year uncertainty of 200 years, identified via uncalibrated carbon-14 isotopic evidence. Across the entire collection, the largest recorded Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) reaches 5.0. Out of the 147 total confirmed eruptions, 117 include recorded VEI observations.

Historical Timeline and Distribution of Activity

Volcanic activity at Etna is distributed across numerous centuries BCE and CE. Representative historical events illustrate the varied nature and location of these eruptions over millennia:

• 6190 BCE: An early confirmed eruption recorded via isotopic evidence.
• 122 BCE: An eruption occurring on the south flank and summit within the Cratere del Piano caldera, reaching a VEI of 5.0 based on reported observations.
• 1329 (June 28 to August 4): A confirmed eruption on the southeast flank with a VEI of 3.0.
• 1787 (June 4 to August 11): Activity at the Central Crater reaching a VEI of 4.0.
• 2022 to 2026: An eruption beginning on the Southeast Crater on November 27, 2022, and ending on January 12, 2026, with a VEI of 2.0.

Century-by-Century Distribution

The frequency of recorded eruptions varies significantly across time periods, reflecting both actual changes in volcanic output and the varying completeness of historical observation and reporting. The confirmed eruption counts by century span multiple eras:

• 52nd century BCE to 11th century BCE: Early prehistoric occurrences include single recorded events in the 52nd, 42nd, 36th, 34th, 31st, 24th, 20th, 15th, 11th, 7th, and 6th (6190 BCE) centuries BCE, alongside two eruptions in the 5th century BCE and one in the 11th century BCE.
• 1st century BCE through 1st century CE: Four eruptions are recorded in the 1st century BCE, followed by three eruptions in the 1st century CE.
• 2nd century CE through 10th century CE: Activity includes four eruptions in the 2nd century BCE, one in the 3rd century CE, one in the 5th century CE, and single or low-frequency counts in intervening centuries.
• 11th century CE through 20th century CE: Recorded events increase in later centuries, with 1 eruption in the 11th century CE, 4 in the 12th, 3 in the 13th, 4 in the 14th, 5 in the 15th, 6 in the 16th, 14 in the 17th, 12 in the 18th, 28 in the 19th, and 32 in the 20th century CE.
• 21st century CE: 10 confirmed eruptions are recorded in the 21st century CE up to the latest cataloged events ending in January 2026.