Volcanic activity usually involves slow, gurgling flows—rarely spewing lava and ash into the sky. But Mount Etna erupted in awe-inspiring fashion on Thursday morning, shooting a stream of lava about 3,200 ft. (975 m) into the air above Sicily, and a plume of ash about three times as high.
The eruption thickly covered a number of neighboring villages with ash and shut down the nearest airport on the Italian island, but no injuries have thus far been reported.
During the spew, volcanic lightning illuminated the billowing clouds. The electric occurrence only happens during the most powerful eruptions.
The event lasted 50 minutes, which was enough time for photographers and videographers to capture the fiery spectacle.
PHOTOS: 20 Breathtaking Images of Earth From Space
Aleppo, Syria, May 26, 2013 – The Citadel of Aleppo – medieval fortified palace
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Belfast, Northern Ireland, Nov. 3, 2013 – “Wish,” a large-scale art work
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Utah, USA, April 22, 2013 – Colorado River
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Cuanza River, Angola, April 28, 2013 – Cambambe Dam
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Doha, Qatar, March 4, 2013 – Artificial island spanning nearly four million sq meters.
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Dunalley, Australia, Jan. 6, 2013 – fires, false color image (red = healthy vegetation)
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Australia, April 22, 2013 – Great Barrier Reef
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Gwadar coast, Pakistan Sept. 29, 2013 – new island created by earthquake in Pakistan
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Croatia, Feb. 16, 2013 – Galešnjak (Island of Love)
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Hong Kong, China May 9, 2013 – giant rubber duck
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Madang Province, Papua New Guinea, March 22, 2013 – Manam Volcano
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Namib Desert, Namibia, May 13, 2013 – Sossusvlie area
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Naples, Italy, Feb. 19 2013 – Mount Vesuvius
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Niger, Feb. 13, 2013 – Arlit Uranium Mine
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Schooner Cays, Bahamas, May 26, 2013
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Sochi, Russia, March 17, 2013 – Site of 2014 winter Olympics
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Near the city of Sur, Oman, Feb. 13, 2013 – massive “green tide”
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Valencia, Spain, July 19, 2013 – Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia and Gulliver Park with an enormous fiberglass model of Lemuel Gulliver trapped
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Versailles, France, Aug. 20, 2013 – Palace of Versailles
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Xi'an, China, Sept. 24, 2013 – Shiyuan Park
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