Mesmerising video shows lava flowing over snow in Iceland, internet baffled

In a rare natural phenomenon, lava was seen flowing over a snow covered landscape in Iceland. The stunning visuals 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 being formed. This video, which shows a steady stream of lava flowing quickly over the pristine white snow, even sparked comments alleging the visuals were created using artificial intelligence.
A post shared by Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove | Photographer in Iceland (@jvn.photo)
To clear the air, Nieuwenhove explained why the puzzling phenomenon occurred. “My last reel, which showed lava flowing over snow, got an incredible amount of attention. Many responded with scepticism, even calling it AI generated. I find this so fascinating because it demonstrates beautifully how us humans can still be surprised by how unique nature is, it shows how we perceive something to be fake because we can’t comprehend it. Isn’t that interesting?” he wrote.
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Nieuwenhove said that the extreme heat of the lava flowing over the snow creates a thin vapor layer on the surface which shields the lower layers from melting instantly. The vapor barrier behaves in a similar manner to water droplets dancing on the surface of a hot pan. “What happens is likely the result of the Leidenfrost effect. The lava moves so fast that it actually manages to cover the snow before it can melt. As a result, it is all trapped underneath the fresh lava. Extremely fascinating if you ask me,” he wrote.
Nieuwenhove blamed Hollywood movies for depicting lava in an unreal manner. “Most people perceive how lava should ‘behave’ incorrectly. I suspect special effects in movies have something pretty significant to do with that. People are surprised by what it looks like, how it moves, how it sounds and how it interacts with its surrounding,” he said.