In 2002-2003 , the biggest series of eruptions for many years threw up a huge column of ash that could easily be seen from space and fell as far away as Libya , on the far side of the Mediterranean Sea . In 2002 â `` 2003 , a much larger eruption threw up a huge column of ash that could easily be seen from space and fell as far away as Libya , 600 km south across the Mediterranean Sea .