A MOST VIOLENT YEAR

With Italy's iconic Etna volcano erupting at the beginning of the year, followed by the lava flows of La Palma making headlines for weeks in autumn, then activity starting at Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai in late December, it felt like 2021 was a particularly big year for the planet's volcanoes.

- PROF BILL MCGUIRE

When we look at the statistics, however, we see that this level of volcanic activity is nothing special. In 2021, 80 eruptions occurred at 75 volcanoes, with 32 new eruptions recorded. This is pretty much par for the course, and looking at the year-on-year figures for the past few decades, there is no indication that volcanic activity is increasing.

Still, the volcanoes of 2021 seemed to capture the attention of the world's media, and blew our minds at a time when much of the world was still reeling in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, reminding us once again of the awesome power of nature.

MOUNT ETIA, ITALY

Something is always happening at Sicily's Mount Etna, and 2021 was no different. Etna demonstrates two different types of activity: ash explosions and overspilling lava flows from one or more of the four summit craters, and larger volume lava flows lower down on the flanks. During 2021, the action was all at the summit, where spectacular lava fountains up to a kilometre high often lit up the sky over eastern Sicily. Periodically, more violent blasts launched huge columns of gas and debris high into the stratosphere, deluging surrounding communities in ash, and closing Catania airport at the foot of the volcano on a number of occasions. Etna's eruptions have certainly become more violent in recent years, and there may be further activity in 2022.

FAGRADALSFJALL, ICELAND