20.5-1.6.2000 Photo PageOnce again STROMBOLI ON-LINE is proud to present a great collection of unique photos by SOL-team member Marco Fulle. Some were taken under considerable risk to his personal safety and must not be regarded as an invitation to approach Etna's summit craters, which, at the present time, must be considered highly active and dangerous. All times are local. To give a sense of the perspective, camera lens focal lengths are given (i.e. f=28 mm). The pictures on this page link to larger photos (20 to 100 KB). Abbreviations: BN = Bocca Nuova; NEC = North East Crater; SEC = South East Crater; TDF = Torre del Filosofo | |||
 20 May 2000, 16:00, f=28mm from TDF. NEC (behind SEC on the left) releases dense ash after each SEC paroxysm, while BN continue to eject white steam and steam rings (right). |  24 May 2000, 16:00, fish-eye image (diagonal = 180°) from BN S rim. Compare this image of BN with a very similar one taken on 15 Feb. 2000. In the background, NEC releases dense ash puffs. |  1 June 2000, 5:00, f=50mm from TDF. The precursor of a SEC paroxysm lasted all night: lava spattering from the SEC N vent (red spot on the lower right of SEC flank). |  1 June 2000, 5:30, f=28mm from TDF. Dawn over the Ionian Sea and Aspromonte. Black ash from SEC in the foreground. |
 1 June 2000, 7:00, f=28mm from TDF. Strombolian explosions start on the SEC top, while the lava spattering on the SEC N vent (lower right SEC flank) continues. |  1 June 2000, 7:30, f=28mm from TDF. After many strombolian explosions, the magma column subsides, with passive ejection of dense ash from SEC. |  1 June 2000, 8:00, fish-eye image (diagonal = 180°). The ash ejection is so strong as to mask the sun. BN on the left, Aspromonte over the sunlit Ionian sea on the right. |  1 June 2000, 9:00, f=135mm from TDF. After many cycles of strombolian activity and ash ejection, we loose all hope to see a SEC paroxysm and devote ourselves to BN steam rings. |
 1 June 2000, 10:15, f=135mm from TDF. Suddenly the SEC paroxysm starts with red lava fountains partially masked by the white steam from BN. The images cover 300 m of height. |  1 June 2000, 10:20, f=50mm from TDF. The lava fountains are among the strongest ever ejected by SEC: the vertical edge of these images covers more than 1 km above SEC! |  1 June 2000, 10:25, fish-eye image (diagonal = 180°). TDF is reached by strong ash fallout: the tephra column is so high in the atmosphere to perfectly simulate a total solar eclipse. |  1 June 2000, 10:30, fish-eye images. The huge eruptive column covers the whole sky above TDF (its roof on the left gives an idea of the perspective) until the paroxysm declines (right). |
 1 June 2000, 10:40, f=50mm from TDF. Ash fallout totally eclipses the sun. Tephra falls only a few tens of meters from us. |  1 June 2000, 10:50, all sky fish-eye image from TDF (its roof in the upper right corner). The eruptive column rises kilometers high into the sky and continues to totally eclipse the sun. |  1 June 2000, 11:00, fish-eye image. The eruptive column casts its shadow over Sicily, and continues to rain ash on the left. Franca, Stephane and John enjoy a happy relax after the adventure. |  1 June 2000, 18:00, f=28mm. When in the afternoon we descend from Rifugio Sapienza to Pedara, we drove on a road densely covered in ash released by the observed SEC paroxysm. |
 25 May 2000, 17:00, f=300mm from TDF. Many details can be seen in this steam ring released by BN: it seems to be made of many coaxial tubes, and it is loosing the most external one. |  25 May 2000, 17:05, f=300mm. Evolution of the same steam ring: a perfect steam thorus flying in the sky. |  25 May 2000, 17:10, f=300mm from TDF. The NW wind moves the same ring towards the south, so that we can see it edgeon. |  31 May 2000, 17:00, f=300mm from TDF. A perfect thoroidal steam ring released by BN: its internal void is due to its fast convective rotation. |
 20 May 2000, 17:00. f=300mm from TDF. This steam ring released by BN instead shows complex waves! |  24 May 2000, 13:00, f=28mm from Sudestino S slope. Roby is demonstrating why in these months it is better to stay away: a SEC bomb (and not of the largest ones!) ejected during a paroxysm. SEC (left) and Sudestino (right) in the background. |  24 May 2000, 15:00, fish-eye image. It is not easy to find a safe observation point: the S side of BN is covered of hundreds of bomb impact craters released by SEC (center). BN on the left and Sudestino on the right. Fresh SEC ash covers snow layers several meters deep. |  20 May 2000, 17:00, f=300mm. Another steam ring |