A new eruption started at Stromboli on 6 August 2014, which had been preceded by 2 months of increased Strombolian activity and several lava overflows from the craters. The eruption was characterized by a lava effusion in Sciara del Fuoco from a fracture at 650 m above sea level that lasted until 13–17 November. Here we present the first geochemical observations of this eruption, based on the soil CO₂ flux in the summit area and on ³He/⁴He ratios in the thermal waters near Stromboli village. We infer that this eruption was triggered by the gradual replenishment of the feeding system by a CO₂‐ and ³He‐rich magma at the end of 2013 and after June 2014, suggested by the increase in ³He/⁴He ratio before eruption, which reached its highest value since 2007. We thus infer that this eruption was unusual, and we finally speculate on the evolutionary scenario of posteruption.

Starting off from a review of previous literature on kinematic models of the unstable eastern flank of Mt. Etna, we propose a new model. The model is based on our analysis of a large quantity of multidisciplinary data deriving from an extensive and diverse network of INGV monitoring devices deployed along the slopes of the volcano. Our analysis had a twofold objective: first, investigating the origin of the recently observed slow-slip events on the eastern flank of Mt. Etna; and second, defining a general kinematic model for the instability of this area of the volcano. To this end, we investigated the 2008–2013 period using data collected from different geochemical, geodetic, and seismic networks, integrated with the tectonic and geologic features of the volcano and including the volcanic activity during the observation period. The complex correlations between the large quantities of multidisciplinary data have given us the opportunity to infer, as outlined in this work, that the fluids of volcanic origin and their interrelationship with aquifers, tectonic and morphological features play a dominant role in the large scale instability of the eastern flank of Mt. Etna. Furthermore, we suggest that changes in the strain distribution due to volcanic inflation/deflation cycles are closely connected to changes in shallow depth fluid circulation. Finally, we propose a general framework for both the short and long term modeling of the large flank displacements observed.