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Nature is full of thrilling spectacles, from volcanic eruptions to lightning that ignites the sky. And sometimes, with a little luck, both of these can happen at the same time, offering some breathtaking footage for the ages. Recently, hikers in Guatemala were treated to a unique sight when lightning hit Volcán de Fuego (or Chi Q'aq') in the middle of an eruption.
The footage captured by those in the area show the volcano's mouth spewing lava as light pulsates in the sky. When a cloud of smoke rises from the side, it is violently met with a streak of lightning, illuminating the night sky in a spectacular fashion. The moment only lasts a handful of milliseconds, but it's enough to take onlookers' breath away.
Among those lucky to witness this event was photographer Johan Wolterink, who shared a video on Instagram. “What are the odds,” he captioned the clip. In his video, the smoke column continues to rise after being struck by the lightning, as if empowered by its encounter with the storm.
TikToker @danii_vee had a little more luck with her sighting, as the clip she posted to social media shows lightning lingering a little longer over the volcanic ash, simulating a dance between both forces as the rays of light take several shapes over the scene. “A spectacular, and once in a lifetime, show gifted by Mother Earth herself,” she wrote. “So incredibly grateful.”
Both videos are textbook examples of volcanic lightning. The Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo explains this naturally occurring phenomenon: “In a thunderstorm, high winds cause the ice particles in clouds to collide with one another; as a result, electrons are knocked off, and part of the cloud gradually accumulates a negative charge, and another part a positive charge. At some point, the excess electrons will ‘jump the gap' and discharge as lightning, which often remains completely within the cloud. Similarly, in a volcanic eruption cloud, there are small particles of volcanic material colliding with one another at high speeds, and these collisions can result in separation of charges in the volcanic cloud that result in lightning.”
Since Volcán de Fuego is one of the most active volcanos in the world, it's a prime location to witnessing volcanic lightning firsthand. See more of this thrilling phenomenon below.
Recently, hikers in Guatemala were treated to a unique sight when lightning hit Volcán de Fuego in the middle of an eruption.
@danii_vee Volcanic lightning ⚡️ Volcan de Fuego – Guatemala. A spectacular, and once in a lifetime, show gifted by Mother Earth herself. So incredibly grateful ✨ #fuego #acatenango #guatemala #fypシ゚viral ♬ My Tears Are Becoming A Sea – M83
Since Volcán de Fuego is one of the most active volcanos in the world, it's a prime location to witnessing volcanic lightning firsthand.
@laurraverra This moment was surreal ⚡️ I’ve never experienced anything like this. Definitely one of the highlights of my hike up Volcano Acatenango in Guatemala! #fuegovolcano #acatenangovolcano #guatemala #acatenango #volcano #volcaniceruption #volcaniclightning #lightning #lightningstrike #nature #mothernature ♬ Plage Coquillage (First Kiss Song) – Tao Mon Amour
h/t: [Good]
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