In some videos that have recently appeared on the web, a spectacular “Volnado”, as it was named by the media, developed over theOcean Pacific and produced by the recent eruption of the Kilauea volcanoin Hawaii, last November 9, 2025. It’s a small one tornado – that is, a whirlwind – which can rarely form during a volcanic eruption due to the difference between the temperature of the air in the area of the eruption and the surrounding air. Below is one of the videos shot online:
But how was it formed? Since it is quite a phenomenon rare and practically almost never documented in scientific literature, the physical-atmospheric process underlying the formation of Volnado still remains not entirely clear. However, according to the opinion of some experts, the training mechanism could be comparable to that which gives life to “Steam devils“, the eddies of steam that are often observed above water masses (from oceans to lakes) and which are produced by the interaction between therising warm and humid air and the air above is much colder, often with thermal differences greater than 20°C. Under these conditions, the air rises so vigorously that it makes the flow unstable and favors the formation of vortices. Finally, the presence of wind contributes to the development and strengthening of the air whirlpool.
In the case of Volnado Filmed in Hawaii, the heat of the volcanic gases and fumes rapidly rising during the eruption would be mainly responsible for triggering the extraordinary phenomenon. The vortex, which appears gray and dense in the videos, would have been made visible thanks to the circulation and rotation, within it, of ashes, tephra And “Pele’s hair” – thin elongated filaments of volcanic glass – products from eruptive activity. The rotation of the smoke and pyroclastic materials is clearly visible at the base of the turbine in the video below.
Kilauea volcano is currently in an intermittent eruptive phase that began in December 2024. The eruption during which the Volnado corresponds to 36th event. In addition to the volcanic tornado, the eruptive activity generated spectacular lava jets with heights of up to 300 meters.
