Fire versus ice: a video from Iceland, where lava oozes out from under the snow, fascinated the world. How is this possible?

Two opposing elements have come together near a volcano in Iceland. Incredible footage shows the meeting of lava and snow - a hot "river" crawls across the snowy terrain.

The video was shot by Belgian photographer Jeroen van Nieuwenhove during the eruption of the Icelandic volcano in February 2024. However, the man has only now shared the video on his social media, and the post quickly went viral, garnering more than 500,000 likes, IflScience writes.

However, some viewers were suspicious of the published video and suggested that the footage was created with the help of artificial intelligence. However, the cameraman was quick to assure all skeptics that the footage was real, without the use of AI.

"I find this so fascinating because it perfectly demonstrates how we humans can still be surprised by how unique nature is. We perceive something as a fake because we can't understand it," van Nieuwenhoven said in a subsequent post.

One of the main claims of the opponents was that the snow did not produce steam when it came into contact with the hot lava. Thinking about this fact, van Nieuwenhoven turned to experts for an explanation.

Scientists say that this may have something to do with the Leidenfrost effect, which was first described in the 18th century. This effect explains how a liquid approaching a much hotter object can form an insulating layer of vapor that prevents it from boiling quickly. Instead of producing steam, the gas produced keeps the droplets suspended above the hot surface, physicists say.

"One thing I've realized while documenting the long series of eruptions in Iceland over the past four years is that most people have the wrong perception of how lava is supposed to 'behave'. It's a strange substance and it really looks surreal on video," van Nieuwenhoven emphasized in his latest post.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote that in Iceland, a video recorded the coincidence of two of the most powerful natural phenomena in the world - a volcanic eruption and the aurora borealis.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!