A Volcano Erupted And Created A Lightning Storm —You’ll Never Believe The Breathtaking Show That Followed

One of Volcan de Fuego’s recent eruptions is captivating the world.

The Guatemalan volcano is one of the most active in the world with small explosions of gas and lava every 15 to 20 minutes. Dangerous eruptions are less frequent, so the spot has become a favorite location for travelers.

Last week, Volcan de Fuego was having a typical day, and dozens of tourists were standing nearby watching for activity when they had the chance experience to see a volcanic eruption create a lightning storm. And it turned into a beautiful display of lights and smoke.

A woman caught the display on video and posted it on Instagram. It has since gone viral for good reason.

The video shows lava and ash shooting from the volcano as lightning simultaneously connects with it, and magnificent streaks light up the sky. The spectacle continues for some time and creates seemingly endless bolts.

It’s Common For Volcanos To Create Lightning Storms

According to Mike Poland with the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, the phenomenon is more common than most know because people aren’t typically gathered around when volcanoes erupt.

“When you put all of this ash into the atmosphere, it creates the right sort of conditions for electrical charges to bounce around and produce a lot of lightning,” he explained to Cowboy State Daily .

“The volcano erupts and puts a lot of ash (particles) into the atmosphere that’s electrostatically charged and interacting with one another,” he continued. “It’s really common in volcanic plumes. The most intense lightning storms on Earth occur in volcanic clouds.”

Volcanic lightning, which is what people witnessed in the viral video, doesn’t need ice particles in clouds as thunderstorm lightning does. The volcano produces enough charge to sustain the “storm.” But if ice crystals are present in the atmosphere, it can intensify the electricity and create an even more stunning show.

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