Largest active volcano in Europe blowing rare 'smoke rings' into sky

(TND) — The largest active volcano in Europe has been blowing spectacular "smoke rings" into the sky.

Giuseppe Barbagallo, a member of the South Etna Alpine Guides Group, told Reuters that Mount Etna in Sicily is experiencing a rare phenomenon, known as "volcanic vortex rings," which is generated by the combination of rapid gas release.

A "perfect circled mouth" vent shape spewed out of a new crater that opened last Tuesday on Etna's summit, according to The Associated Press.

According to Reuters, many locals are now referring to Etna as "Lady of the Rings".

Boris Behncke, a volcanologist at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Catania, told a local news outlet that Etna produces more volcanic vortex rings than any other volcano on Earth.

Etna is one of the most active volcanoes, and the last significant activity was recorded last December, according to the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History's Global Volcanism Program.