The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- Sarah Marshal
Iceland’s newest volcano continues to put on a spectacular display, with a ‘tornado’ spewing out of its crater.
New footage shows the twirling air column emanating from Litli-Hrútur, or ‘Little Ram’ volcano, which formed last month in Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula.
The stunning spectacle is the result of heat from lava warming up the air above it, making the air less dense and causing it to rise.
Under the right wind conditions, this column of hot air starts to spin like a super-fast corkscrew and appear like a ‘tornado’.
Litli-Hrútur has already been throwing ‘spatter bombs’ of molten lava into the air and landing well beyond the rims of the crater.
The new footage shows the long twirling mist emanating from Litli-Hrútur, or ‘Little Ram’ volcano, in Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula
David Smart, a storm researcher at University College London, said the term ‘tornado’ can be used in this case, even though it’s likely different from the traditional definition of a tornado.
The American Meteorological Society defines a tornado as a rapidly rotating column of air extending vertically from Earth’s surface to the base of a cumulus cloud.
This ‘tornado’ appears to be connected to a different cloud altogether – the cloud of ash emitted by the volcano (known as the ‘eruption column’).
‘I think it likely that it was an atmospheric instability near the surface enhanced the updraught in the lowest cloud layer and beneath the eruption cloud.
‘This effect “stretches” the vorticity (“spin” of air parcels) near the ground and leads to a tall, compact vortex.’
Lovísa Mjöll Guðmundsdóttir, a specialist in natural hazards at the Icelandic Metrological Office, said it can be more accurately referred to as a ‘dust devil’.
The volcano, which is located on Mount Fagradalsfjall, began erupting on Monday following heightened seismic activity in the area. It is located 20 miles from the Keflavik airport
The stunning tornado or ‘dust devil’ is the result of heat from lava warming up the air above it, making the air less dense and causing it to rise
Under Iceland’s cascading winds, this column of hot air spins like a corkscrew to produce the ‘tornado’
European Space Agency has released a satellite image of the volcano erupting, appearing as a orange blob on the Reykjanes peninsula trailed by a smoke plume
This aerial photo taken on July 10 shows smoke billowing from flowing lava during a volcanic eruption
Authorities in Iceland warned spectators to stay away from a newly erupting volcano that is spewing lava and noxious gases
Satellites orbiting above are continuously capturing the molten lava and smoke plume puffing from the ”Little Ram’.
