In theory, the spinning could push charged ash and dust particles outward, which would explain the enveloping "sheath" of lightning seen around some volcanic plumes.
(See a picture of a spectacular instance of a volcanic lightning sheath.)
Volcanic mesocyclones, the model suggests, could also be responsible for downward-pointing spinning funnels of air which can suck up dust or water to create dust devils or waterspouts, respectively.
When the same process occurs in thunderclouds, the result is a tornado, Chakraborty explained.
Ken Wohletz is a volcanologist at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico who was not involved in the study.
Wohletz said the team is "likely on the right track" with their theory.
"What is really neat about their model is that it provides the basic framework that helps explain the attendant meteorological phenomena" such as lightning and tornado-like cyclones, Wohletz said.
Findings detailed in the March 26 issue of the journal Nature.
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