Europe's most active volcano may have a secret origin

Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, has long mystified geologists—it simply doesn't fit any of the three classic models for how volcanoes form. According to ScienceDaily, a new study this morning suggests something far more unusual: ancient reservoirs of magma being pushed upward through cracks created by shifting tectonic plates. If confirmed, Etna could represent a rare fourth category of volcano, fundamentally changing how scientists understand volcanic formation. The catch: this process was previously thought to only create small submarine eruptions, so discovering it can fuel a major volcano like Etna opens an entirely new frontier in volcanology.

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