Mount Etna rises on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, about 29 km north-northwest of Catania - Europe's tallest and most active volcano. Unlike a single steep cone, Etna is a broad shield-to-strato profile with four separate summit craters clustered near its top. This 3D explorer shows that wide-based silhouette and the flanks scarred by centuries of lava flows.
Published figures: summit height about 3,357 m (it shifts after major eruptions); base covers about 1,190 sq km; four active summit craters (Voragine, Bocca Nuova, Northeast Crater, Southeast Crater); continuously active for at least 2,700 years; a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013.
Drag to orbit and scroll or pinch to zoom. Everything renders on your device with WebGL.
Mount Etna 3D Explorer
This browser explorer shows Mount Etna on the east coast of Sicily, Italy - Europe's tallest active volcano. Where Vesuvius and Fuji rise as one steep symmetrical cone, Etna spreads into a much wider shield-to-strato profile, with four separate summit craters clustered near its top instead of a single vent.
Etna has been continuously active for at least 2,700 years, making it one of the most closely studied volcanoes on Earth. Its broad flanks are marked by dark lava-flow fans from centuries of eruptions, some of which have reached toward the city of Catania at the mountain's base. UNESCO recognized Etna as a World Heritage Site in 2013 for its exceptional record of ongoing volcanic activity.
- Toggle the summit craters to see the four named vents clustered near the top (Voragine, Bocca Nuova, Northeast Crater, Southeast Crater)
- Toggle the lava-flow fans to see schematic flow paths etched down the flanks
- Read height, crater count, and heritage-status figures in the info panel
- Drag to orbit, scroll or pinch to zoom
- Runs fully in the browser with the vendored three.js engine - no account, no upload
| Figure | Published value |
|---|---|
| Height | about 3,357 m (shifts after major eruptions) |
| Base area | about 1,190 sq km |
| Summit craters | 4 active (Voragine, Bocca Nuova, Northeast Crater, Southeast Crater) |
| Activity record | continuously active for at least 2,700 years |
| Heritage status | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013 |
| Nearest major city | Catania, about 29 km to the southeast |
For other volcanoes, explore the Mount Vesuvius 3D Explorer for a single steep cone inside an ancient caldera ridge, or Mount Fuji 3D Explorer for a symmetrical stratovolcano cone.
Everything renders on your device with WebGL. The 3D engine loads once (about 0.7 MB) and is cached.
This is an educational approximation - the terrain, crater markers, and lava-flow fans are schematic teaching cues, not survey data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mount Etna the tallest volcano in Europe?
Yes. At about 3,357 m, Mount Etna is the tallest active volcano on the European continent. Its height shifts slightly after major eruptions build up or collapse parts of the summit craters, so published figures vary by a few tens of meters from year to year.
Why does Etna have four summit craters?
Etna's summit area holds four named active vents - Voragine, Bocca Nuova, Northeast Crater, and Southeast Crater - that have formed and merged over the volcano's long eruptive history. Unlike a single-vent volcano such as Vesuvius, Etna's broad, gently sloped profile has room for multiple craters to develop side by side near the top.
How often does Mount Etna erupt?
Mount Etna has been continuously active for at least 2,700 years, making it one of the most frequently erupting volcanoes in the world. Its eruptions range from small ash and gas emissions to lava fountains and flows that occasionally threaten nearby towns on its lower flanks.
Is Mount Etna a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
Yes. UNESCO added Mount Etna to its World Heritage list in 2013, citing its exceptional record of continuous volcanic activity and its value for the ongoing scientific study of volcanic processes.
How close is Mount Etna to Catania?
Mount Etna sits about 29 km north-northwest of Catania, a major Sicilian city. Its broad base and lava-flow fans stretch across the surrounding countryside, and historic flows have occasionally reached close to towns at the mountain's lower slopes.