Flaming fuel on water creates ‘blue whirl’ that burns clean
Method may have practical use in fuel spill cleanup
![blue whirls](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/081216_ec_blue-whirl_free.jpg?fit=860%2C460&ssl=1)
BLUE WHIRL A swirling flame called a blue whirl is produced in the lab by igniting fuel floating on top of water (left). The flame first transitions into a 60-centimeter-tall fire tornado (center) before settling down into a quietly spinning blue flame (right) just 6 centimeters in height.
H. Xio, M.J. Gollner, E.S. Oran/PNAS 2016