Technically known as “Volcanic Vortex Rings” a rare phenomenon was caught on camera at Europe’s largest active volcano, Mount Etna located on Sicily.
The rings are generated by the rapid release of gas and vapors from circular crater that was formed last week. The crater has been putting on a show ever since with bubbling magma pulsing up, creating the puffs which are composed of 80% water vapor with the remaining 20% mostly made of sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide.
“In the late afternoon of April 2, 2024, a small mouth opened on the northeastern edge of the Southeast Crater, producing gusts of incandescent gas. The next morning it was obvious that these blows were producing an impressive amount of steam rings, and the business has since been going on, having already issued hundreds if not thousands of these pretty rings.” –Boris Behncke
No volcano on Earth produces as many vapor rings (“volcanic vortex rings) as Etna, we knew this for a long time. In 2000 and from July 2023 onward, the Bocca Nuova crater emitted thousands of these rings, and it is continuing.
But now Etna is breaking all previous records. In the late afternoon of April 2, 2024, a small mouth opened on the northeastern edge of the Southeast Crater, producing gusts of incandescent gas. The next morning it was obvious that these blows were producing an impressive amount of steam rings, and the business has since been going on, having already issued hundreds if not thousands of these pretty rings.
The video was taken at dawn on April 4, 2024 from our house in Tremestieri Etneo, it is timelapse (10x the normal speed).