Day 178

Day 178

 

Blowing smoke

Sometimes, when enough pressure builds up, Mt Etna will spew smoke rings into the skies over Sicily. In a recent month, Etna blew more smoke rings than ever, breaking all the records. These “volcanic vortex rings” can hold their shape for up to 10 minutes.

 

https://youtu.be/ckFdAVFgIR8?si=8uSjcSsjys6aW13i

 

The smoke is not a sign of an impending eruption. “The phenomenon occurs when enough pressure builds up so that magma inside the crater propels condensed gases, predominantly water vapor”, through a small perfectly circular vent that opened.

 

 

Photo: Jpakkala, CC BY-SA 4.0
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Etna\_Smoke\_Ring.jpg


https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/09/world/europe/smoke-rings-italy-volcano.html


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