A recent eruption of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano spawned a ‘volnado’, a vortex of volcanic ash and rock. This phenomenon occurred during a nearly 8-hour eruption on June 14th and was captured on an on-site webcam.
Nicknamed a ‘volnado’, these tornado-like vortices occur due to extreme temperature contrasts and wind shear. During an eruption, hot air from the volcano rapidly rises because it’s cooler than the surrounding air. That rising air is then swirled by winds approaching nearly perpendicular to the column, creating a vortex.
These ‘volnadoes’ are more closely related to waterspouts, often seen off coastlines, rather than tornadoes that spawn from supercells and severe storms. However, they can still be dangerous, as they can throw rocks and other debris.
Original reporting: WLWT Cincinnati — read the source article.
