<p>In an extremely rare phenomenon caused by the constant release of vapours and gases, the world’s most active stratovolcano, Mount Etna, located on the eastern coast of Sicily, Italy is blowing out volcanic vortex rings.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Rare display of volcanic vortex rings</strong></h2>

<p>Images and videos from the past few days show Europe’s tallest active volcano has been sending near-perfect circular smoke rings into the Sicilian sky after a new crater reportedly opened on its summit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The so-called smoke rings emitting from the volcano which has been in a near constant state of activity for years now.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">In a relatively rare phenomenon caused by a constant release of vapors and gases, Italy's Mount Etna puffed out volcanic vortex rings <a href="https://t.co/ucdMHGfWwg">pic.twitter.com/ucdMHGfWwg</a></p>
— Reuters (@Reuters) <a href="https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1776663662910206375?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">VIDEO: Rare smoke rings rise into the blue sky above Sicily's Mount Etna. Towering over the island at a height of 3,357 metres, Etna is Europe's most active volcano and activity has been recorded there for over 3,500 years. <a href="https://t.co/587M2rxXio">pic.twitter.com/587M2rxXio</a></p>
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1776892830574612588?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>The gas rings are emitting from a small vent on Mount Etna’s southeast crater, said Boris Behncke, a volcanologist with the INGV-Osservatorio Etneo or Etna Observatory, in a post on X.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/googles-solar-eclipse-2024-search-animation-steals-the-show-heres-how-to-see-it-708688">Google's Solar Eclipse 2024 search animation steals the show! Here's how to see it</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>According to Behncke, the phenomenon has been observed since Tuesday (Apr 2) evening.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Etna?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Etna</a> is putting on a new, different show. Since the evening of 2 April 2024, a small vent on the Southeast Crater is emetting unprecedented quantities of gas rings (volcanic vortex rings). Timelapse (10x) video recorded at dawn on 4 April 2024 from home in Tremestieri Etneo <a href="https://t.co/4VjxNJYxKP">pic.twitter.com/4VjxNJYxKP</a></p>
— Boris Behncke (@etnaboris) <a href="https://twitter.com/etnaboris/status/1775973860908675279?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Etna?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Etna</a>'s Southeast Crater continues emitting countless graceful vapor rings ("volcanic vortex rings"), a phenomenon never seen like this before. Someone said "maybe because we receive so much bad news lately, Etna has decided to do something simply beautiful". 5 April 2024 <a href="https://t.co/zVxsKzX99K">pic.twitter.com/zVxsKzX99K</a></p>
— Boris Behncke (@etnaboris) <a href="https://twitter.com/etnaboris/status/1776285207823323215?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>Volcanic vortex rings are an extremely rare and natural phenomenon and are marked by near-perfect circles of vapour and gas being emitted from a volcano under specific conditions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is when gas bubbles are pushed through the narrow central part of the volcanic conduits and then form into rings as the gas and vapour wrap around themselves in a vortex motion. These rings are propelled hundreds of metres into the air.</p>

<h2><strong>Mount Etna eruption</strong></h2>

<p>An ash cloud from Mount Etna which had erupted in August last year, led to the cancellation, delay, and redirection of flights affecting millions during the holiday season.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/volcanoes-fault-zone-filled-lake-baikal-gearing-up-for-earthquake-study-hints-so-708053">Lake Baikal, filled with volcanoes and fault zone, is reportedly staring at an earthquake</a></strong></p>

<p>Notably, most eruptions of Mount Etna are harmless. However, the 3,330 metre-high volcano burst on August 13, 2023, left many vehicles and streets of the Mediterranean island covered in ash.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 2013, Mount Etna was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


In an extremely rare phenomenon caused by the constant release of vapours and gases, the world’s most active stratovolcano, Mount Etna, located on the eastern coast of Sicily, Italy is blowing out volcanic vortex rings.

In an extremely rare phenomenon caused by the constant release of vapours and gases, the world’s most active stratovolcano, Mount Etna, located on the eastern coast of Sicily, Italy is blowing out volcanic vortex rings. Rare display of volcanic vortex rings Images and videos from the past few days show Europe’s tallest active volcano has been sending near-perfect circular smoke rings into the Sicilian sky after a new crater reportedly opened on its summit. The so-called smoke rings emitting from the volcano which has been in a near constant state of activity for years now. In a relatively rare phenomenon caused by a constant release of vapors and gases, Italy's Mount Etna puffed out volcanic vortex rings pic.twitter.com/ucdMHGfWwg — Reuters (@Reuters) April 6, 2024 × VIDEO: Rare smoke rings rise into the blue sky above Sicily's Mount Etna. Towering over the island at a height of 3,357 metres, Etna is Europe's most active volcano and activity has been recorded there for over 3,500 years. pic.twitter.com/587M2rxXio — AFP News Agency (@AFP) April 7, 2024 × The gas rings are emitting from a small vent on Mount Etna’s southeast crater, said Boris Behncke, a volcanologist with the INGV-Osservatorio Etneo or Etna Observatory, in a post on X. Also Read | Google's Solar Eclipse 2024 search animation steals the show! Here's how to see it According to Behncke, the phenomenon has been observed since Tuesday (Apr 2) evening. #Etna is putting on a new, different show. Since the evening of 2 April 2024, a small vent on the Southeast Crater is emetting unprecedented quantities of gas rings (volcanic vortex rings). Timelapse (10x) video recorded at dawn on 4 April 2024 from home in Tremestieri Etneo pic.twitter.com/4VjxNJYxKP — Boris Behncke (@etnaboris) April 4, 2024 × #Etna's Southeast Crater continues emitting countless graceful vapor rings ("volcanic vortex rings"), a phenomenon never seen like this before. Someone said "maybe because we receive so much bad news lately, Etna has decided to do something simply beautiful". 5 April 2024 pic.twitter.com/zVxsKzX99K — Boris Behncke (@etnaboris) April 5, 2024 × Volcanic vortex rings are an extremely rare and natural phenomenon and are marked by near-perfect circles of vapour and gas being emitted from a volcano under specific conditions. It is when gas bubbles are pushed through the narrow central part of the volcanic conduits and then form into rings as the gas and vapour wrap around themselves in a vortex motion. These rings are propelled hundreds of metres into the air. Mount Etna eruption An ash cloud from Mount Etna which had erupted in August last year, led to the cancellation, delay, and redirection of flights affecting millions during the holiday season. Also Read | Lake Baikal, filled with volcanoes and fault zone, is reportedly staring at an earthquake Notably, most eruptions of Mount Etna are harmless. However, the 3,330 metre-high volcano burst on August 13, 2023, left many vehicles and streets of the Mediterranean island covered in ash. In 2013, Mount Etna was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. (With inputs from agencies)

WATCH: Mount Etna puffs out ‘smoke rings’ in rare phenomenon

<p>Scientists in the UK have discovered &#39;smoke rings&#39; in the Tasman Sea.</p>

<p>These fast-moving eddies may &#39;suck up&#39; small marine creatures and carry them at high speed and for long distances across the ocean.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A team of experts at the University of Liverpool, UK spotted the discovery while analysing sea level measurements.</p>

<p>The analysis took help from satellites and also looked at measuring sea surface temperature.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Satellite images procured unveiled the so-called &#39;smoke-rings&#39;.</p>

<p>&quot;What we found was a pair of eddies spinning in opposite directions and linked to each other so that they travel together all the way across the Tasman Sea, taking six months to do it,&quot; shared Chris Hughes, lead author of the study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.</p>

<p>&quot;The smoke rings require an area of calm water to &#39;puff&#39; out through, which itself is quite unusual. I have looked at other areas of other oceans but I have only seen them in the oceans around Australia, plus one in the South Atlantic,&quot; he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The rings in the ocean are cut in half by the sea surface, so we see the two ends of the half ring at the surface, experts noted.</p>

<p>Ocean eddies are often described as swirling motions which mix the water and carry it across the average currents.</p>

<p>The &#39;smoke-rings&#39; are identified as a pair of linked eddies spinning in opposite directions.</p>

<p>These &#39;linked eddies&#39; are therefore capable of travelling up to ten times the speed of &#39;normal&#39; eddies.</p>

<p>The &#39;smoke-rings&#39; were spotted in Tasman sea, southwest of Australia and in the South Atlantic, west of South Africa.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from PTI)</em></p>


A team of experts at the University of Liverpool, UK, spotted the discovery while analysing sea level measurements

Scientists in the UK have discovered 'smoke rings' in the Tasman Sea. These fast-moving eddies may 'suck up' small marine creatures and carry them at high speed and for long distances across the ocean. A team of experts at the University of Liverpool, UK spotted the discovery while analysing sea level measurements. The analysis took help from satellites and also looked at measuring sea surface temperature. Satellite images procured unveiled the so-called 'smoke-rings'. "What we found was a pair of eddies spinning in opposite directions and linked to each other so that they travel together all the way across the Tasman Sea, taking six months to do it," shared Chris Hughes, lead author of the study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. "The smoke rings require an area of calm water to 'puff' out through, which itself is quite unusual. I have looked at other areas of other oceans but I have only seen them in the oceans around Australia, plus one in the South Atlantic," he added. The rings in the ocean are cut in half by the sea surface, so we see the two ends of the half ring at the surface, experts noted. Ocean eddies are often described as swirling motions which mix the water and carry it across the average currents. The 'smoke-rings' are identified as a pair of linked eddies spinning in opposite directions. These 'linked eddies' are therefore capable of travelling up to ten times the speed of 'normal' eddies. The 'smoke-rings' were spotted in Tasman sea, southwest of Australia and in the South Atlantic, west of South Africa. (With inputs from PTI)

Scientists discover 'smoke rings' in Tasman sea

smoke-rings

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