▁Gas ▁Anal y zer ▁System , ▁which ▁detect s ▁pre - er upt ive ▁deg ass ing ▁of ▁rising ▁mag mas , ▁impro ving ▁prediction ▁of ▁vol can ic ▁activity . ▁ ▁An ▁er u ption ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁injured ▁ 1 0 ▁people , ▁including ▁a ▁BBC ▁News ▁television ▁crew , ▁after ▁mag ma ▁expl oded ▁upon ▁contact ▁with ▁snow . ▁ ▁An ▁er u ption ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁following ▁a ▁dy ke ▁intr usion ▁at ▁shall ow ▁depth , ▁spe wed ▁ash ▁into ▁the ▁air , ▁forcing ▁the ▁closure ▁of ▁air space ▁around ▁Mount ▁Et na . ▁Two ▁days ▁later , ▁a ▁magnitude ▁ 4 . 9 ▁earth qu ake ▁shook ▁the ▁nearby ▁city ▁of ▁Cat ania , ▁dam aging ▁buildings ▁and ▁inj uring ▁four ▁people . ▁ ▁Vol can ic ▁explos ivity ▁index ▁of ▁recent ▁er u ptions ▁ ▁The ▁Global ▁Vol can ism ▁Program ▁has ▁assigned ▁a ▁vol can ic ▁explos ivity ▁index ▁( VE I ) ▁to ▁all ▁of ▁Mount ▁Et na ' s ▁er u ptions ▁since ▁January ▁ 1 9 5 5 : ▁ ▁Sm oke ▁rings ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁Et na ▁er upt ed ▁smoke ▁rings , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁captured ▁events ▁of ▁this ▁type , ▁which ▁are ▁extremely ▁rare . ▁This ▁happened ▁again ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁Video ▁foot age ▁of ▁ 8 ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁event