The hidden heart of Etna has been the subject of a joint study by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) and the University of Catania. The results of the research made it possible to reconstruct the dense network of active faults present beneath the volcano. By analyzing more than 15,000 earthquakes that occurred over a period of about two decades, the researchers traced the structures that drive crustal deformation and their interaction with magma movements. Published in the international journal Scientific Reports, the study titled "Earthquake clustering and structural modeling unravel volcano-tectonic complexity beneath Mount Etna" highlights how the most intense eruptions, such as those in 2018 and 2021, are preceded by a significant release of seismic energy that affects the entire geological architecture of the area down to depths of about 30 km. During eruptive events, the pressure exerted by magma in the crust layers can activate faults even at considerable distance and depth from the summit craters.