Terrifying Video Shows The Result Of Lightning Hitting A Volcano That's Blowing Up

By Editorial Staff in Nature On 17th September 2024
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When Mother Nature decides to show off, all you can really do is watch and hope it turns out okay.

This rings especially true for a viral video making rounds on social media, capturing the jaw-dropping moment when molten lava clashes with lightning.

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The scene is reminiscent of The Undertaker making his grand entrance into the WWE for what feels like the hundredth time—and we are totally here for it.

Posted on TikTok, the brief video captures the vibrant orange-red lava erupting from a volcano, which, by the way, is so hot it could melt through steel.

Two forces of nature colliding. Getty Stock Images

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning cuts through the scene, creating a spectacular visual that's almost too incredible for words.

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But let’s clear up a common misconception—it’s not the lava itself that's reacting with the lightning.

Here’s how it actually goes down: when a volcano erupts, it spews ash, gas, and lava into the sky.

The ash and other volcanic particles rub against each other as they're hurled into the air, building up static electricity.

Under the right conditions, this can spark lightning within the volcanic smoke and ash cloud.

This phenomenon, known as a 'dirty thunderstorm,' occurs exclusively above the erupting volcano.

It's not the lava that causes the lightning, but rather it contributes to the conditions that allow this breathtaking event to take place.

People were blown away by the footage, although some half-expected the Cars character Lightning McQueen to make an appearance, as he often does in social media edits.

"Was I the only one thinking I was going to see Lightning McQueen this was better," one viewer commented.

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"So clearly I’ve got some trust issues, because I was expecting being tricked by another Lightning McQueen video.. I’m so happy that this time it was a real one," another shared.

As one commenter put it, "A lifetime of video games has taught me one thing! There is a boss battle going on that mountain top!"

And another added, "Wow... once in a lifetime captured right there... you are truly blessed to have captured this."

This stunning event recently occurred at Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala, a volcano that has had notable eruptions in 2018, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

The video went viral on social media. TikTok / brown_watermelon

Locals from the capital, Guatemala City, located 44km (27 miles) southwest of Fuego’s summit, have witnessed these spectacular eruptions.

Explaining the science behind the phenomenon, scientists from the University of Hawaii's Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes said,

"Similarly (to a thunderstorm), in a volcanic eruption cloud, there are small particles of volcanic material colliding with one another at high speeds, and these collisions can result in separation of charges in the volcanic cloud that result in lightning"