The control of lava flow during the 1991–1992 eruption of Mt. Etna

Abstract All the actions carried out in 1992 to protect the village of Zafferana Etnea from being invaded by lava are described. An earthen barrier 234 m long and 21 m high was firstly built in January 1992 by accumulating with mechanical escavators 370,000 m 3 of earth, scoriae and stones. This embankment contained the lava for about one month and was overflowed by April 9, 1992. Three additional smaller earthen barriers (lenght: 90–160 m; height: 6–12 m) were built in April to gain time while the lava front was descending towards Zafferana from the overflowed first embankment. The major effort of the 1992 operation consisted of several attempts at stopping the lava front advance by divert…