Interesting Photo of the Day: Volcanic Lightning in Iceland

Does the photograph below show the wrath of a Nordic god or a natural phenomenon? Maybe both. From the files of weird, wild, and magnificent Iceland comes this photograph by Skarphedinn Thrainsson:

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The lightning inside this volcanic ash cloud is terrifying, yet beautiful. (Via Imgur.)

The image was taken in April 2010, during the most recent eruption of Eyjafjallajokull, an Icelandic volcano covered by an ice cap. Volcanic lightning–also known as a “dirty thunderstorm”–occurs when static charges are produced by rock fragments and ice particles colliding with the ash in a volcanic cloud.

[via PictureCorrect Photography Tips]