Italian Volcano Off Sicily Erupts

Friday, March 16th 2007, 9:23 am

By: News On 6

ROME (AP) _ The volcano on the tiny Sicilian island of Stromboli erupted in a shower of small stones and ash, but it posed no danger to the few hundred people living nearby, authorities said Friday.

The eruption late Thursday was the latest activity from Stromboli, located 40 miles north of Sicily.

The volcano is noted for its frequent, minor eruptions and attracts tourists eager to see the flow of lava inching down its side. It is the northernmost of seven islands in the Aeolian archipelago north of Sicily.

Last month, the volcano spewed a substantial amount of lava into the sea, prompting authorities to warn islanders about the risk of a small tsunami.

In spring 2003, Stromboli sent hardened lava raining down on some of the settlements nestled in the folds of the island's green slopes. A few chunks crashed into houses.

In 2002, Stromboli experienced a rare effusive eruption _ an outpouring of lava without an explosion, its first in 17 years. A few days later, landslides tumbled down an uninhabited slope, crashing into the sea and setting off a tsunami.

Stromboli is not the only active volcano in southern Italy, with Mount Etna in Sicily coming to life every few months.