The activity at the South East Crater (SEC, 3340 m a.s.l.) was recently characterized by lava flow emission together with explosive paroxysms, the most violent of which occurred on November 16, 2006 accompanied by collapses of the eastern sector of SEC.

Mount Etna, one of the largest active volcano in the Mediterranan area and the largest in Europe, covers an area of about 1260 km² reaching at its top an elevation of about 3350 m (a.s.l.). The volcanic activity is at the base of myths and legends from classic times. The most ancient known records on Mount Etna, one of the "workshops" of the Latin god Vulcanus, and on its eruptive activity date back to several centuries B.C., being clearly reported in chronicles by historians (Tucydides and Diodorus) or recalled in poems (Pyndarus).