New volcano in Iceland causes tornado and gas plumes amid warnings for the public to stay away from the site
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A new Icelandic volcano – named Litli-Hrútur or ‘Little Ram’ – is causing tornadoes in the country following its first eruption of lava last month.
The volcano, located on the Rekyjanes Peninsula – around 40km from the country’s capital, Reykjavik – emerged in July after a series of more than 7000 earthquakes in the region.
Last week, drone footage captured hot lava pouring from the volcano while a tornado spun overhead. The phenomenon is caused by the temperature of the lava – which can reach up to 1200C – heating the air above it. If conditions are right, the column of hot air can form a tornado – an event also seen back in 2018 at the Kīlauea volcano in Iceland.
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‘This is a type of tornado that is sometimes seen where there is a strong heat source on the ground and the atmosphere is unstable in the lowest kilometre [0.6 mile] or so near the surface,’ said tornado and storm researcher at University College London’s Hazard Centre, David Smart.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) has advised the public not to explore the site after reports of loud bangs – caused by pockets of methane gas exploding in the lava flow – at the site.
Only last month, a volcanic eruption occurred on the same peninsula following a 5.2-magnitude earthquake, with a fissure measuring 900 metres in length (around half a mile) opening up by the Litli Hrútur mountain in Grindavik.
With around 30 volcanoes, Iceland is a known hot spot for volcanic activity due to its location on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, this ridge is where the Eurasian and North American plates move apart by a few centimetres each year.
