Etna turned out to be the 'wrong' volcano - scientists

We're talking about a possible new type of volcanic activity.

Details

Etna is Europe's most active volcano, but its origin has long remained a mystery. It doesn't fit into any of the three classical models of volcano formation.

Typically, volcanoes form

• at the boundaries of tectonic plates
• in areas where one plate goes underneath another
• or over so-called hotspots

However, Etna combines the features of several types at once, not fully corresponding to any of them.

Analysis of the chemical composition of the lava showed that magma rises from a depth of about 80 kilometres - from the upper mantle of the Earth. In this case, it is not formed immediately before the eruption, as it happens in most cases, and already exists there in advance.

Scientists assume that the magma rises up because of the deformation of the Earth's crust in the collision zone of the African and Eurasian plates. Through cracks, it gradually seeps to the surface.

This mechanism resembles rare "petit-spot" volcanoes, which are usually found on the ocean floor and are much smaller in size.

Etna, on the other hand, is a large volcano over 3,000 metres high, making this case unique.

Why it matters

The discovery could change the understanding of how volcanoes form.

It's important for:

• improving eruption predictions
• assess volcanic risks
• understanding processes in the Earth's interior

It also shows that previously unknown mechanisms of volcanic activity may exist on Earth.

Background

Until now, it has been thought that all volcanoes can be explained by three main mechanisms. Etna is one of the first examples that may not fit into this scheme and indicate the existence of an additional type.

Source

The study was conducted by scientists at the University of Lausanne. The work was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth (2026).