Described as “high intensity”, the event occurred on Monday morning (local time) and was captured by surveillance cameras, both thermal and visual, placed there by the institute’s Sicilian branch.
The eruption sent waves of rocks and lava down the side of the volcano, spewing ash across the island, but did not cause any reports of injuries or deaths.
Images show the start of the explosion and streams of lava rapidly running down the centre-south side of the volcano, from a 190-metre height.
The institute reported the event lasted four minutes and “from a seismological standpoint” it “was characterised by a sequence of explosive events and landslides”.
It also reported no variation on the overall conditions of the volcano.
Stromboli is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, with minor explosions and random spectacular lava flows often descending from the crater directly into the sea.
Monday’s eruption is the first significant blast of Stromboli in more than a year, since a series of flare-ups in July and August 2019 left one hiker dead.
According to television reports, officials warned there could be further eruptions in the coming days.
