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Located on the Italian island of Sicily, Mt. Etna is one of the world's most active volcanoes. In this false-color satellite image of the volcano in 2001, a plume of steam and smoke rising from the crater drifts over some of the many dark lava flows that cover its slopes. Due to summit eruptions, Mt. Etna's elevation of 3,329 m (10,922 ft) is 21 m (69 ft) lower than it was in 1981. Because of its recent activity and proximity to nearby population centers, it has been designated as a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior. For other active volcanoes in Italy, see the Natural hazards-volcanism subfield in the Geography section. Image courtesy of USGS.