Lava flows down in Iceland.
In February 2024, something amazing happened in Iceland! A photographer named Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove filmed a video showing hot lava flowing over snow from the Sundhnúkagígar volcanic craters.
But there was something strange - there was no steam when the lava touched the snow! People thought the video was fake. Even Nieuwenhove was surprised!
But don’t worry, the video was real! The reason for this surprising effect is called the Leidenfrost effect.
What is the Leidenfrost effect?
When something really hot touches something wet, like snow, the wet thing doesn’t boil right away. Instead, it makes a tiny layer of steam that protects it from the heat for a short time. It’s like a magic trick!
In Iceland, the hot lava melted the top of the snow, and the steam stopped the snow underneath from melting too fast. The lava moved so quickly over the snow that no steam was seen in the video.
About Sundhnúkagígar volcanic craters.
Sundhnúkagígar is not like a regular volcano. It’s a group of cracks in the Earth where lava comes out. The craters erupted many times in 2023 and 2024, but they first erupted over 2,500 years ago!
Right now, the area is closed because of the eruptions, but maybe one day, it will be safe to visit again.
