According to INGV-CT, the eruption that began at Stromboli on 28 December 2002 ended on 22 July. Strombolian activity occurred almost continuously in July, with spatter often falling outside the rim of Crater 1 (the NE crater). Mainly degassing and sporadic ash emissions occurred at Crater 3 (the SW crater), with Strombolian explosions becoming more common during the second half of July. Erosion of the N flank of Crater 1 by landslides in the upper Sciara del Fuoco increased in July, with the 30 December 2002 landslide scar extending backward and upslope, cutting the flank of the cone just 50 m below the crater rim. Lava effusion from vents located at about 600 m elevation on the upper eastern corner of the Sciara del Fuoco decreased beginning in early June, completely stopping between 21 and 22 July.

Geological Summary. Spectacular incandescent nighttime explosions at Stromboli have long attracted visitors to the "Lighthouse of the Mediterranean" in the NE Aeolian Islands. This volcano has lent its name to the frequent mild explosive activity that has characterized its eruptions throughout much of historical time. The small island is the emergent summit of a volcano that grew in two main eruptive cycles, the last of which formed the western portion of the island. The Neostromboli eruptive period took place between about 13,000 and 5,000 years ago. The active summit vents are located at the head of the Sciara del Fuoco, a prominent scarp that formed about 5,000 years ago due to a series of slope failures which extends to below sea level. The modern volcano has been constructed within this scarp, which funnels pyroclastic ejecta and lava flows to the NW. Essentially continuous mild Strombolian explosions, sometimes accompanied by lava flows, have been recorded for more than a millennium.

Source: Sezione di Catania - Osservatorio Etneo (INGV)