Stromboli

Stromboli Facts

Perhaps most importantly, the deceptively simple term of Stromboli names a small island located in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It also fails to do justice to the awesomeness of the site. This surprisingly impressive island sits just off the northern coast of Sicily, in Europe.
The relatively small but nevertheless still quite impressive island actually contains one of the three active volcanoes found in Italy. The site also forms one of the eight islands comprising the Aeolian Islands. This also represents an active volcanic arc north of that country.
The name of the awesome small landmass further derives from Ancient Greek. In that language the title literally means swollen form. Regardless of the term one uses, in any language, it remains an incredible location. Presently, though, this location has very few inhabitants.
That’s because the island’s current population actually numbers fewer than 850 individuals. The impressive volcano also previously erupted with moderate violence numerous times in the past. It continues to be constantly active with minor eruptions even today, however.
Yet another aspect of the captivating site amazes those individuals fortunate enough to be able to visit it. That’s because, to the continued amazement of those who appreciate the power and majesty of Nature, this activity often appears visible from many points on Stromboli.
These realtively minor eruptions also often appear within the surrounding sea. It’s tendency to be in a nearly constantly active state gave rise to an intriguing nickname for the island. Due to this activity, the unique location’s often referred to as the Lighthouse of the Mediterranean.

Stromboli Eruptions

Fortunately for those who live in the immediately surrounding region, large eruptions of the volcano of Stromboli have been comparatively rare in modern times. More precisely, the last major eruption of the volcano occurred on 13 April 2009. Neveretheless, the site’s by no means extinct.

This fabulous creation of geological processes and time additionally impresses the majority of people due to its sheer size, as well. The stunning volcano itself stands 3,034 ft (926 m) above sea level. Below the waves, though, the base itself rises roughly 8,860 ft (2,700 m) above the ocean floor.

The magnificent site, easily rannking among the best known in the entire region, also boasts yet another fully impressive statistic. That holds true because of the fact that a total of three active craters actually sit at the peak. This distinguishes it from the great majority of known volcanoes.

Yet another significant geological feature of the island exists, however. This particular natural formation bears the name of Sciara del Fuoco. This particualr term names a moderately large horseshoe-shaped depression. Evidence further indicates that it formed over the past 13,000 years.

This specific physical feature of Stromboli, however, formed due to a series of very powerful natural events. That’s because several collapses occurred on the northwestern side of the cone of the mountain. About 1.2 mi (2 km) to the northeast lies the remnant of the original volcano.

Stromboli Activity Patterns

This awe-inspiring location isn’t simply content to rest on its laurels, though. In fact, it also holds yet another fascination for scientists. That’s because, to the continued amazement of researchers, Stromboli has been in almost continuous eruption for roughly the past 2,000 years.

The eruptive events contained within the summit craters have additionally maintained a surprisingly regular pattern of activity. These ongoing actions include mild to moderate eruptions of incandescent volcanic bombs. Nevertheless, the time between events is also incredible.

That’s because the intervals between these many magmatic events generally ranges from every few minutes to every few hours. Eruptions from the craters at the summit typically result in a few short bursts. They also remain energetic in nature. Yet the impressiveness doesn’t end there.

This holds true due to the amazing fact that eruptions also generally attain an astounding average height. In point of fact, these reach altitudes averaging nearly 650 ft (200 m). These events generally include varying combinations of ash, incandescent lava fragments, and large blocks of stone.

Visiting the breathtaking Stromboli remains highly exciting, yet potentially dangerous. Unfortunately for the interested viewer, its activity type remains almost exclusively explosive. Comparatively slower and less dangerous lava flows do occur periodically when volcanic activity remains high.