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Smoke rings over Etna

The picture shows the volcano Etna at sunset, a few minutes after the emission of a ring of smoke from the Sud-Est crater, certainly the most active crater in recent years.

The emission of smoke rings is a rare and fascinating fenomenon of which there is not yet a detailed and and universally accepted explanation.

It consists of vortices of smokes and gases capable of creating ring-shaped figures of variable dimensions that often, as in tha case of the photo, have very well defined contours.

It is widely believed that the presence of smoke rings is a signal of an imminent volcanic activity. In fact, about twenty days later this event, Etna was the scene of a violent eruption.

 

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Uploaded on August 21, 2023
Taken on July 20, 2023