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 Sea smoke and steam devil over the Sea of Japan on December 25, 2021, on the south of Primorsky Krai of Russia, from Yuzhno-Morskoy (near Nakhodka). |
A steam devil is a small, weak whirlwind over water (or sometimes wet land) that has drawn fog into the vortex, thus rendering it visible. They form over large lakes and oceans during cold air outbreaks while the water is still relatively warm, and can be an important mechanism in vertically transporting moisture.[1] They are a component of sea smoke.
Smaller steam devils and steam whirls can form over geyser basins even in warm weather because of the very high water temperatures. Although observations of steam devils are generally quite rare, hot springs in Yellowstone Park produce them on a daily basis.
Steam devils have only been reported and studied since the 1970s. They are weaker than waterspouts and distinct from them. The latter are more akin to weak tornadoes over water.
- ^ "Steam Devil". World Meteorological Organisation. Retrieved 2023-01-11.