At 924 metres above sea level and with an underwater depth of more than 2,000 metres, Stromboli is one of the rare volcanoes in Europe that is still active. It is unusual in that it erupts regularly (several times an hour), flowing along the ‘Sciara del Fuoco’, a sort of lava path that descends to the sea. One of the most spectacular eruptions in recent years took place on 30 December 2002, when new craters opened up and a huge ridge broke away from the volcano and fell into the sea.