Students from Brighton University saw Mount Etna erupt during a field trip to Sicily.
The 88 second-year undergraduates saw Etna spew ash up to three miles into the sky when the volcano erupted last Sunday (18 March).
The geography, environment and geology students had arrived the day before Europe’s biggest volcano burst into life.
They also a lava fountain followed by lava flows and water vapour clouds as the hot lava interacted with the surrounding snow
Staff and students from the university’s School of Environment and Technology were due to meet volcano expert Dr Boris Behncke from the Italian Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).
He was going to give them a guided tour of Etna’s history when staff received a text alert that an erupton was imminent.
So the group headed to Trecastagni to view the 22nd eruption of Etna since January last year – it is the second most active volcano in the world.
The eruption on the new south east crater lasted about two hours but forced the temporary closure of the nearby Catania Airport.
Significant ash fell on surrounding villages as the group watched what Dr Behncke described as “the greatest show on earth”.
Brighton University said that it gave the students a vivid lesson in the way locals coped with and managed living next to such a potentially lethal hazard.
Professor Phil Ashworth, who led the field trip, said: “What an amazing sight and experience.
“University of Brighton students are so fortunate to witness the creation of new parts of the earth’s crust.
“The eruption is an event that students will never forget, in particular, the ash raining down on our heads and notebooks.”
