Tornado Appears Above Erupting Iceland Volcano in Stunning Footage
Iceland is no stranger to volcanic eruptions. But its newest volcano, born just a few weeks ago, has some observers scratching their heads.
Litli-Hrútur, or "Little Ram," was created by a fissure that fractured the ground on July 10. It's been spewing lava ever since then. "When lava flows over a vegetated area, methane gas can be produced when the vegetation does not burn completely," the Icelandic Meteorological Office said in a Facebook post. "The gas then accumulates in gaps and cavities in the lava."
When these pockets of methane mix with oxygen, it forms a highly flammable cocktail of gases. This leads to loud explosions, which have been heard all over the Reykjanes Peninsula since the eruption started. "When an ember or flame from the fire breaks into it, an explosion occurs," the post detailed.
As if the exploding lava flows weren't enough, the baby volcano also created a tornado with its ash cloud. Stunning video captured on July 24 showed just how the smoke emanating from the volcano's rim spiraled up to the sky in tornado-like fashion.
The explanation for the seemingly unbelievable phenomenon is pretty straightforward. The intense heat from the molten rock spewing out of the crater warms the air directly above it, causing it to rise. Based on certain wind conditions, columns of hot air can spin into a tornado.
David Smart, a tornado and storm researcher at University College London's Hazard Center, explained to LiveScience that it probably happened to be a situation of right place and right time for a tornado to come together. The combination of just the right atmospheric and geological conditions suggest that they "were particularly conducive on this day" to creating a tornado.
The creators of Sharknado could potentially have a field day with this idea.