Impressive photos of Ashes and Lightnings Above Volcanos

Eruption on the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in southern Iceland, March 2010

On May 2010, 16th, more than 150 lightning strikes were recorded on the ATDNet (lightning detection system) during the last 24 hours. From 8 am to 11 am this morning, 54 lightning were detected.





Source 1: Sigurður Stefnisson
Source 2: APOD
Source 3: Flickr Gallery

Why did the picturesque 2010 volcanic eruption in Iceland create so much ash? Although the large ash plume was not unparalleled in its abundance, its location was particularly noticeable because it drifted across such well-populated areas. The Eyjafjallajökull volcano in southern Iceland began erupting on 2010 March 20, with a second eruption starting under the center of a small glacier on 2010 April 14. Neither eruption was unusually powerful. The second eruption, however, melted a large amount of glacial ice which then cooled and fragmented lava into gritty glass particles that were carried up with the rising volcanic plume. Pictured above during the second eruption, lightning bolts illuminate ash pouring out of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano.

Eruption on the Sakurajima volcano in Japan, April 2012

Source: Martin Rietze

We might wondering why does a volcanic eruption sometimes create lightning...It remains a topic of research, and the cause of volcanic lightning is even less clear. Surely, lightning bolts help quench areas of opposite but separated electric charges. One hypothesis holds that catapulting magma bubbles or volcanic ash are themselves electrically charged, and by their motion create these separated areas. Other volcanic lightning episodes may be facilitated by charge-inducing collisions in volcanic dust. Lightning is usually occurring somewhere on Earth, typically over 40 times each second.




Shinmoedake Eruption, on January 2011

Source

Cool pics!

This is my current desktop, although in better resolution:

news.nationalgeographic.com...


First pic in slideshow.

Sorry for the original broken link.

reply to post by elevenaugust


Very beautiful pics......scary at the same time though.

If only wrath of the titans had that good of special effects maybe it coulda been a better movie ha.

Kinda reminds me of when cronos comes out of the mountian...

Rowdy pictures though, kinda wish I was there... at a very safe distance.

Stunning, beautiful, completely in awe...
What an amazing place our planet...
Great information! Thanks!

Wow. Those are some pretty wicked pics. This volcano erupted in Chili in May 2008. There are a few more pictures on the link provided.

Chaiten Volcano

Moar!

22nd line

Originally posted by openeyeswideshut
If only wrath of the titans had that good of special effects maybe it coulda been a better movie ha.

Kinda reminds me of when cronos comes out of the mountian...

Rowdy pictures though, kinda wish I was there... at a very safe distance.

That was my first thought when I saw these pics, that would be incredible to see..........
from a safe distance