A rare sight unfolded alongside Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano on Tuesday. Caught on camera, a brief but prominent whirlwind spun up beside a massive lava fountain, sending material several hundred feet into the air.

Such whirlwinds have been documented before, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). As intense heat from the spewing lava rapidly rises, an area of low pressure is created near the ground. Cooler surrounding air then rushes in to fill the low-pressure void. Under the right conditions, that air begins to rotate and create a vortex. The formation mechanism is similar to dust devils, but rather fueled by volcanic energy.

Tuesday at 6:35 a.m. Hawaii time, large lava fountains started to emerge out of the Halema?uma?u crater located on Kilauea, with lava spewing up to 500 feet high. The eruption began in December 2024; this was the 32nd eruptive episode. The activity has been easily visible from many overlooks within Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.

Kilauea, the youngest and most active volcano in the Hawaiian Islands, sits on the Big Island. It ranks among the most active volcanoes in the world, sporadically erupting for centuries.

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