Must See Video Of Mt Edna Eruption & Twister

[martinastro]

Keep watch after about 1 min 15 sec's into the clip!

[brianb]

I don't think that's really a tornado - I think the rising column of hot air from the volcano has captured a spiral of spindrift. I've seen mini spindrift spirals all over the place even when the sky's been completely clear & no convection at all, it's just an inevitable consequence of the turbulence created when a wind blows over rough surfaces.

This one is much bigger than those I've seen but I do think it's just because it's been held together by the strong volcanic thermal.

[martinastro]

mmm.... definitely a serious vortex going on there, not the conventional type of tornado but definitely a variation on one. Instead of being connected to a cloud base it's formed from the billowing ash plumes. Some kind of vorticity was generated by that explosive event. Volcanic eruptions like that often generate electical storms, there's serious 'convection' going on in that. All dust devils don't need to be attached to a cloud base, including some waterspouts, they are still classified as vortex or whirlwind phenomena though. I'm no expert on Volcanoes, just my two cents.