An eruption at one of Hawaii’s most famous volcanoes produced an unexpected and mesmerizing effect. When Halemaʻumaʻu crater erupted in June 2023, the intense heat rising from the lava created powerful swirling wind vortexes that looked strikingly similar to tornadoes.
Halemaʻumaʻu sits within the summit caldera of Kīlauea and has a long history of dramatic changes. After major collapses in 2013 dramatically reshaped the crater, a new eruption ten years later revealed just how extreme volcanic heat can be.
This video explains how the eruption generated these rare vortexes and what scientists believe caused the phenomenon. It is a fascinating look at how volcanic forces can briefly mimic severe weather in ways few people ever get to see.
