The U.S. Geological Survey captured footage of a whirlwind forming over lava fountains in the Halemaumau Crater during the volcano’s latest eruption.
WASHINGTON — Something unusual was spotted swirling inside the summit crater of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano during its latest eruption this week, leading scientists to declare a “volnado.”
It all started when lava emerged from the north vent in Halemaumau Crater after midnight. The vent began shooting fountains of lava at 6:35 a.m. HST, the U.S. Geological Survey said. By mid-morning, it was also erupting from the crater’s south vent and a third vent in between.
The USGS shared footage Tuesday of a whirlwind forming inside Halemaumaucrater as the lava fountains shot hundreds of feet into the air. The vortex, which resembled a dust devil or tornado, kicked up loose ash deposits and smoke as it spun across the crater floor before dissipating in the lava fountain.
“We know you’ve heard of a volcano… but how about a volnado?” the USGS joked in a post on X.
While “volnado” is not an actual scientific term, the USGS noted that similar whirlwinds have been observed during other eruptive episodes at Kilauea, both inside the crater and along its rim.
The events are caused by the turbulent mixing of hot and cold air.
Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. It’s located on Hawaii Island, the largest of the Hawaiian archipelago. It’s about 200 miles (320 kilometers) south of the state’s largest city, Honolulu, which is on Oahu.
Tuesday’s activity marked the 32nd time the volcano released molten rock since December, when its current eruption began. So far, all the lava from this eruption has been contained within the summit crater inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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