Lava flow and rockfallsThe movies below were all taken with a digital video camera from Pizzo sopra la Fossa during the late afternon of 19 December 2002 and during the late afternon of 4 January 2003 from Punta Labronzo (MPEG format). In order to reduce file sizes sound track is present only when significant. Clicking the thumbnail images brings up the movies. | |||
 19. Dec. 2002. The most striking activity during the end of December 2002 were steam rings from different vents, a rare phenomenon on Stromboli. Birth, evolution and death of a ring from a vent in NE crater. 1.2 MB |  19. Dec. 2002. However, normal strombolian activity continues, although it was one of the very last days... Powerful eruption from NE crater. The sound is almost drowned by the very strong wind. 700 KB |  19. Dec. 2002. Shallow magma level allows very big clots to be ejected, although with small speed. Here clots are splashed on the NE crater rim and remain incandescent for at least 15 minutes. Action slightly accelerated. 2 MB |  19. Dec. 2002. SW crater: long and noisy vertical lava fountaining episode. After the eruption, the lava clots slowly detach from the slopes of the small cone surrounding the little vent. 1.3 MB |
 4. Jan. 2003. First we can see vapour emerging from waves not too close to the coast. The cause is revealed later on, filmed in infrared: Two submerged lava branches extend from the delta of the lava flow. 900 KB |  4. Jan. 2003. Most of the lava flows inside the canyon left by the landslides and is not directly observed. This video, taken with a light integration technique, shows vapour from the delta passing over the glowing lava flow. 600 KB |  4. Jan. 2003. When the lava reaches the sea, a lot of vapour is produced and hampers visibility. Sometimes spectacular incandescent phreatomagmatic explosions occur at sunset. 1.8 MB |  5. Jan. 2003 On 5. January morning, a view from the tourist path, just after the so-called Roccette, taken in a rare moment of visibility, reveals the intense fumarolic activity in the big fracture on the NE crater flank. 550 KB |
 From the sea the most interesting features are rockfalls. Zoom on rockfall along the western side of the canyon. 1.1 MB |  Big rockfall episode. Again on the western side of the canyon, boulders descend the slope extremely rapidly before splashing into the sea. 1.6 MB |  The rockfalls come from virtually everywhere. This one tumbles down the eastern side. It originated from an active lava flow branch above. 1.3 MB |  Spectacular sequence of big splashes. To avoid collisions with our boat, we decide to observe the phenomenon from further away :-). 1.4 MB |
| The movies on the last row were all taken from a boat few tens of meters from the active lava flow delta on the Sciara del Fuoco. For
this we thank Pippo Utano (Società Navigazione Pippo) who enthusiastically brought us there notwithstanding the rough sea. Although of
course disturbed by the sea noise, sound track is always present here. Copyright: R. Carniel | |||