Eerily perfect 'vortex rings' keep blowing out of Europe's most active volcano. Here's why.
By Harry Baker published about 10 hours ago
Dozens of circular loops made from smoke and volcanic gas are rising from a peculiar vent on Mount Etna every day.
A "vortex ring" that was puffed out by Mount Etna on July 23. (Image credit: Luca Cosma)
Europe's most active volcano, Mount Etna, is blowing scores of ethereal "vortex rings" every day from a single vent located in one of its most active craters.
On July 23, Boris Behncke, a volcanologist with Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology who is based in Sicily alongside Mount Etna, wrote on Twitter that the volcano had been "releasing dozens of gas rings" from a single vent in Bocca Nuova crater for around a week and shows no signs of stopping.
Vortex rings are made from a mix of smoke, steam and other gases released from volcanic vents at high speeds. They can remain airborne for several minutes before eventually disappearing.
Photographer Luca Cosma, who also runs the tour company Etna Hiker, snapped a series of stunning pictures of the vortex rings on July 23 while escorting a group to the Bocca Nuova crater.
More:
https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/volcanos/eerily-perfect-vortex-rings-keep-blowing-out-of-europes-most-active-volcano-heres-why
= new reply since forum marked as read
