Eiffel Towers of Etna! Stunning pictures show lava trails recreating Paris landmark on side of volcano

By Helen Lawson for the Daily Mail

Published: 07:54 EDT, 21 February 2013 | Updated: 05:31 EDT, 22 February 2013

Mount Etna erupted once more this week, with these stunning photographs capturing the power of nature in full flow.

One of the pictures caught the lava as it snaked into a shape not unlike Paris' Eiffel Tower while it wound its way down the snowy flank of the volcano.

Part of the lava stream also mimicked the shape of the electricity pylon below - a reminder that nearly a quarter of Sicily's population lives in close proximity.

But thankfully for them, the latest activity has not got in the way of every day life.

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Lava flows down the flanks of Sicilian volcano Mount Etna as it erupted on Tuesday

Smoke and lava engulfed the volcano's slopes - but the activity wasn't enough to disrupt every day life for local communities

The volcano had been showing signs that it was about to burst into life again as recently as January

Residents in the island's second largest city Catania were not issued with danger warnings by volcanologists monitoring the area and it was business as usual for local airports.

The snow-covered volcano burst into life again on Tuesday, spitting lava and smoke hundreds of feet into the air.

Europe's largest volcano is also one of the world's most active, and there were signs in January that another eruption was imminent.

The volcano's south-east crater sent lava shooting as high as 4,500 feet on January 12 and lit up the skyline again at the end of the month.

These pictures were taken as lava from the south-east crater, which was formed in 1971, tore through the snow.

Etna, which stands nearly 11,000 feet high, likes to make itself known to the island on a regular basis and tunnels and ditches have been dug around the base of the volcano to try to protect communities.

The fiery plumes of lava lit up the snowy slopes of Mount Etna on Tuesday

Lava poured down the flank of the snow-covered volcano, but the eruption wasn't enough to spoil every day life for nearby residents

The volcano's south-east crater, which formed in 1971, is one of its most active spots

The Sicilian volcano glowed on Tuesday as it shot fountains of lava hundreds of feet into the air