Stromboli is a small island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It contains one of the three active volcanoes in Italy. Its name is derived from the Ancient Greek name Strongule which was given to it because of its round swelling form.

Stromboli is also known as “Lighthouse of the Mediterranean” because the volcano is constantly active with minor eruptions, visible from the many points from the surrounding sea. Mt. Stromboli has been in almost continuous eruption for the past 2,000 years with the last major eruption on April 13, 2009.

There are three active craters at the peak. A significant geological feature of the volcano is the Sciara del Fuoco (“Stream of fire”), a big horseshoe-shaped depression generated in the last 13,000 years by several collapses on the northwestern side of the cone.

Wolfgang Beyer took the above picture of Eruption of Stromboli in 1980, about which he explained:

“Eruption of Stromboli (Isole Eolie/Italia), ca. 100m (300ft) vertically. Exposure of several seconds. The dashed trajectories are the result of lava pieces with a bright hot side and a cool dark side rotating in mid-air.”

Write us your comments about this miraculous firework of Mother Nature.

Photo Courtesy : Wikimedia Commons