Mesmerizing video shows lava flowing over snow in Iceland, internet confused by viral clip | Trending

In a rare natural phenomenon, lava was seen flowing over a snowy landscape in Iceland. The stunning images were captured by Icelandic photographer Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove, who shared them on Instagram.

The video shocked many online, who were surprised to see the hot lava flowing over snow without any steam forming. This video, which shows a steady stream of lava flowing rapidly over the pristine white snow, even sparked comments claiming the visuals were created using artificial intelligence.

Watch the video here:

To clear the air, Nieuwenhove explained why the puzzling phenomenon arose. “My last reel, which showed lava flowing over snow, got an incredible amount of attention. Many reacted with skepticism and even called it AI-generated. I find this so fascinating because it beautifully demonstrates how we humans can still be surprised over how unique nature is, it shows how we perceive something as false, because we can’t understand it, isn’t it interesting?

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When lava meets snow

Nieuwenhove said the extreme heat from the lava flowing over the snow creates a thin vapor layer on the surface, which protects the lower layers from melting instantly. The vapor barrier behaves in the same way as water droplets dancing on the surface of a hot pan. “What’s happening is probably the result of the Leidenfrost effect. The lava is moving so fast that it actually manages to cover the snow before it can melt. As a result, it’s all trapped under the fresh lava. Extremely fascinating if you asking me,” he wrote.

Nieuwenhove accused Hollywood films of portraying lava in an unreal way. “Most people’s perception of how lava should ‘behave’ is wrong. I suspect special effects in movies have something pretty significant to do with it. People are surprised by how it looks, how it moves, how it sounds, and how it interacts with its surroundings,” he said.