The Smoke Monster!

Discover the Eyjafjallajokull volcano's stunning eruption, unleashing electrified volcanic ash and captivating lightning.

Written bySheril Kirshenbaum
| 1 min read
Google NewsGoogle News Preferred Source

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news

Sign Up

LiveScience:

The Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland, which began erupting on Wednesday, April 14, has been churning out volcanic ash that's electrified with lightning. Credit: Olivier Vandeginste.

Meet the Author

More on Discover
Archaeological site with human remains
Modern Humans May Have Lived Alongside an Extinct Human Species in Ancient Indonesia
two Ajkaceratops kozmai in a natural setting, possibly the first horned dinosaurs described in Europe
84-Million-Year-Old Horned-Dinosaur Fossils Rewrite Europe’s Prehistoric Record
two professors sampling a mammoth skull
Youngest Mammoth Fossils Identified as Whale Bones in Surprise Discovery
International space station
A Medical Emergency 250 Miles Above Earth Forces NASA to Make a Rare Decision
Illustration of Bothriolepis, post-extinction jawed fish
Mass Extinction 445 Million Years Ago Paved the Way for Jawed Fishes to Take Over
a lunar vehicle on the moon
Methane from Lunar Landers May Contaminate Ancient Organic Molecules at the Moon's Poles
portrait of leonardo da vinci
Could Leonardo da Vinci’s Art Contain Traces of the Artist’s DNA?
Mandible from Thomas Quarry in Morocco
773,000-Year-Old Fossils Capture a Moment Before Human Lineages Split
Man hunting in Stone Age with arrow
60,000-Year-Old Arrowheads Contain the Oldest Evidence of Poisoned Weapons
Mars, the Red Planet, in space
Thin Ice May Have Helped Ancient Lakes Survive on Mars
Artist’s concept of Betelgeuse and an orbiting companion star. the large red-orange star has a swirling shadow around it
Betelgeuse's Brightness Wavers Due to a Companion Star and Its Swirling Trail of Gas 
Medieval human remains in archaeological excavation
Ancient Teeth Record Climate Change and Medieval Migration Into England

Stay Curious

JoinOur List

Sign up for our weekly science updates

View our Privacy Policy

SubscribeTo The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Subscribe