Mount Etna eruption causes ash clouds and airport closures in Italy

Etna eruption disrupts Sicily and sparks solar eclipse theories

Mount Etna has roared once again, and this time ash clouds have paralyzed Sicily's main airport. The volcano has been erupting for seven days, with volcanic dust forcing the repeated closure of Catania-Fontanarossa airport. However, before panic spreads on social media, it is worth remembering that Etna is no ordinary volcano: it is one of the most active in the world and has been in near-continuous eruption for centuries.

Another eruption in a long geological history

Etna's history is full of documented eruptions. In 122 BC, a massive explosion covered the city of Catania in ash. In 1669, lava reached the city itself, destroying parts of it. Since then, the volcano has intermittently spewed lava and ash. In fact, some recall seeing rivers of lava flowing from Etna when visiting Italy over three decades ago. Therefore, the current eruption is not an exceptional event, but just another episode from a volcano that never sleeps.

Solar eclipses, 5G, and other conspiracy theories

Nevertheless, the coincidence with a solar eclipse has raised alarms among conspiracy theorists. Some claim that the eclipse, occurring the very next day, could be linked to the eruption, suggesting that the alignment of the Moon and the Sun could gravitationally affect the magma. A detailed analysis of the correlation between tides and eruptions suggests that 48% of eruptions at Fuego volcano occur during peak tides, a thought-provoking statistic. Others go further, mentioning 5G, vaccines, or the prophecies of Edgar Cayce, a psychic who in 1932 warned that increased activity from Etna would be a prelude to major global catastrophes. All of this, of course, lacks any scientific evidence.

Teide, Yellowstone, and other active volcanoes

Meanwhile, attention has shifted to other volcanoes. In Spain, a recent study reveals that Mount Teide is accumulating magma about 15 kilometers below Pico Viejo, raising alarms in the Canary Islands. In the United States, the Yellowstone supervolcano remains a major concern: a massive eruption there would surpass the effects of the meteorite that wiped out the dinosaurs. However, volcanologists remind us that volcanic activity is normal on Earth and that the probability of a catastrophic eruption in the short term is minimal.

Volcanic CO2 and climate irony

Some point out the irony that, while traffic and industry are blamed for CO2 emissions, a volcano like Etna can emit more carbon dioxide in a few days than the entire world's car fleet does in a year. This argument is repeated during every eruption to challenge the dominant climate narrative. But scientists insist that volcanic emissions are a tiny fraction compared to human-made ones, even if the debate continues.

Meanwhile, ash continues to fall and Catania airport remains closed at intervals. If activity persists, aerial chaos could last for days. But volcanologists remind us that Etna has been erupting for thousands of years; the only certainty is that it will keep roaring, and conspiracy theories will continue to feed off every new explosion.