Stromboli, the Mediterranean’s fiery beacon

Stromboli is one of the few volcanoes with persistent, near-continuous ordinary explosive activity. Italy’s Civil Protection Department says typical Strombolian explosions occur on average every 10–20 minutes and eject incandescent magma fragments, lapilli, and ash a few hundred metres high. Major explosions and ballistic volcanic bombs are separate, more hazardous events, not a necessary part of every short cycle. The Vancori summit reaches about 926 m above sea level. The glow of its nighttime eruptions gave the volcano its “Lighthouse of the Mediterranean” nickname; sources describe activity over many centuries, with historical eruptions known for roughly two millennia [1–3].