Mount Etna eruption today: Europe's tallest volcano erupts spewing lava - is it still erupting and where is it located?

In the days leading up to the eruption, the volcano showed increased activity, including ash emissions and several small strombolian explosions - blasts of gas and magma - from its Southeast Crater. The first eruption began on the evening of February 8 and remains active, with the lava flow still emerging from the fissure at the southern base of the Bocca Nuova crater.

The volcano began erupting again on Monday (10 February) and was still spewing lava on Tuesday. According to volcanologists, the current eruption is a typical sub-terminal eruption as it comes from a fracture, not one of the main craters.

The 3,330-metre volcano is believed to have the longest documented history of eruptions among all volcanos, with records dating back to 425 BC. It is located on the island of Sicily in Italy, and covers an area of 459 square miles, with a basal circumference of 87 miles. As a result, it is by far the largest of the three active volcanoes in Italy, being about two and a half times the height of the next largest - Mount Vesuvius.

The snowy surroundings of Sicily’s Mount Etna were lit up as the volcano emitted lava around 3,000 metres above sea level on Tuesday. Mount Etna is one of the world’s most active volcanoes and is in an almost constant state of activity. The fertile volcanic soils produced from this activity support extensive agriculture, with vineyards and orchards spread across the lower slopes of the mountain and the Plain of Catania to the south.