Dramatic visuals! Lava flows over snow in Iceland, netizens baffled

A photographer from Iceland posted a video clip on Instagram reels that captures an eccentric moment of ‘lava flowing over snow.’ The photographer, Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove, said that this clip sparked a lot of debate as there’s no visible steam during the time the lava crosses over the snow.
According to the post’s description, the footage was captured at Iceland’s active volcanic fissure Sundhnúkagígar during the February eruption this year. The photographer explained that the Leidenfrost effect prevents steam from forming, allowing lava to move rapidly over the snow. The caption to the post reads, “What happens is likely the result of the Leidenfrost effect. The lava is so incredibly hot that it melts the top part of the snow, which then creates a vapour layer that shields the bottom part from the heat temporarily.”
Elaborating on the phenomenon, he said that it is similar to what happens when water droplets scoot around on a hot metal plate. He added, “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.” He called this extraordinary event, ‘Extremely fascinating.’
The viral video has garnered over 42.5 thousand likes and around 9.4 crore views. A user questioned, “Is this on regular speed? Does lava actually move this fast?” Another user commented, “It’s fake. Obviously, this is just a chocolate cookie dough being squashed over a layer of fine sugar.” 
Some users said that it was terrifying but cool. “I didn’t know that; cool! Also terrifying, but cool!” one commented. Another remarked, “This is what anxiety feels like.” 
Some users termed it red velvet. “Looks like red Velvet Cake!” Another user noted, “A tale of ice and fire.” Yet another user posted: “How it feels to watch the electoral college votes get counted.” 
The Leidenfrost effect is a physical phenomenon in which a liquid, close to a solid surface of another body that is significantly hotter than the liquid’s boiling point, produces an insulating vapour layer that keeps the liquid from boiling rapidly. Because of this repulsive force, a droplet hovers over the surface rather than making physical contact with it. The effect is named after the German doctor Johann Gottlob Leidenfrost, who described it in “A Tract About Some Qualities of Common Water”.
German doctor Johann Gottlob Leidenfrost is credited with defining the Leidenfrost effect. This phenomenon occurs when a liquid is in close proximity to a solid surface that is significantly hotter than the liquid’s boiling point. In this situation, an insulating vapour layer forms, preventing the liquid from boiling rapidly, as explained in ‘A Tract About Some Qualities of Common Water.’