Mount Etna - Sicily, Italy - Summit Vanishing into the Clouds

Mount Etna's snow-covered upper slopes rise toward a summit hidden beneath dense cloud, while dark volcanic ridges cut dramatically through the winter snow.

Mount Etna's snow-covered upper slopes disappear into a dense bank of cloud, leaving the summit almost completely hidden from view. Dark volcanic ridges cut through the white winter landscape in the foreground, while the higher mountain gradually fades into mist and cloud. At these elevations, rapidly changing weather can transform the appearance of Etna within minutes, alternately revealing and concealing its summit area. The contrast between snow and exposed black volcanic material also reveals the complex surface of the volcano, shaped by countless eruptions, lava flows, craters and eruptive fissures. Mount Etna dominates eastern Sicily and ranks among the world's most active volcanoes, with a documented history of eruptions extending back thousands of years. Its exceptional geological importance, continuing volcanic activity and long history of scientific observation led to Mount Etna being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2013. Scenes such as this capture another side of the Sicilian volcano, where snow, lava and cloud combine to create an almost constantly changing mountain landscape.