Etna’s Hidden Magma Route: A Petit-Spot Mechanism Rewrites Europe’s Most Active Volcano
A new study suggests Mount Etna is fed by a rare petit-spot–style magma source from deep upper-mantle pockets, delivering a slow, steady supply that produces persistent alkaline eruptions and unusual chemistry for a subduction-zone volcano—potentially making Etna a unique case with important implications for hazard assessment near Catania and Messina.