‘Volnado’ spins skyward as Hawaii’s Kīlauea – Business News
A stay digicam at Hawaiʻi’s Kīlauea volcano captured a uncommon sight this week — a swirling “volnado” forming subsequent to a fountain of lava, the most recent dramatic reminder of the mountain’s stressed nature.
The video launched by the US Geological Survey (USGS) exhibits a column of ash sucked into a whirling vortex as molten rock bursts skyward.
The spinning cloud resembled a twister — however with volcanic heat fueling its rise.
“We know you’ve heard of a volcano … but how about a volnado?” the USGS joked in a social media post that rapidly unfold throughout science and nature boards.
We know you’ve got heard of a volcano…however how about a volnado?This afternoon, during episode 32 fountaining at Kīlauea the V3 stay digicam (https://t.co/tCc5xGmMcO) caught this whirlwind kicking up unfastened ash deposits alongside the energetic fountain and move within Halemaʻumaʻu crater. pic.twitter.com/wCwhZgoFV8— USGS Volcanoes🌋 (@USGSVolcanoes) September 3, 2025
A stay USGS digicam captured a uncommon “volnado” swirling beside a lava fountain at Hawaiʻi’s Kīlauea volcano.
USGS Volcanoes/X
According to scientists, these whirlwinds seem when scorching air from erupting lava collides with cooler air above the crater. The turbulent combine can twist into a seen vortex, typically carrying ash and fuel tons of of toes into the sky.
Ash and fuel twist skyward in a fiery vortex during Kīlauea’s thirty second eruption since December. USGS Volcanoes/X
This week’s exercise marked the thirty second eruptive episode at Kīlauea since December, underscoring the volcano’s status as one of probably the most energetic on Earth. The eruption ended abruptly in a single day, and officers stated no properties or communities had been threatened.
Kīlauea, situated on Hawaiʻi’s Big Island about 200 miles south of Honolulu, sits within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
Scientists say “volnados” kind when scorching volcanic air collides with cooler currents above the crater. USGS Volcanoes/X
Its Halemaʻumaʻu crater — long thought of in Hawaiian custom the home of the volcano goddess Pele — has been dramatically reshaped lately.
An enormous 2018 collapse carved out new landscapes, whereas more current eruptions have constructed recent lava lakes and fuel vents.
The Halemaʻumaʻu crater, long tied to the goddess Pele in Hawaiian custom, erupted with each lava and a swirling ash cloud. USGS Volcanoes/X
The USGS maintains a number of livestream cameras skilled on the crater, offering the public a uncommon real-time take a look at volcanic exercise.
Volcanologists incessantly observe the feeds as a result of they supply helpful information on eruption dynamics.
For guests and residents, they’re a mesmerizing window into the forces shaping the island.
Scientists stress that whereas “volnados” might look uncommon, they don’t seem to be totally surprising. Similar whirlwinds have been documented during previous Kīlauea eruptions, as nicely as at volcanoes in Alaska and Iceland.
They hardly ever pose further hazards past the eruption itself.
