Episode 25: Melting into Lava, Wicked Witch Style | Volcano (1997)
Caitlin and Nicole are joined by Nicole’s friend Patricia, who is a geophysicist and studies volcanoes. (No, Patricia is not a vulcanologist. That’s a different thing. Nicole already made that mistake.) Per Patricia’s request, the group has gathered together to discuss the cheesy 1997 disaster movie, creatively named "Volcano”. Patricia is here to answer all of your lava-related questions? Can volcanoes just shoot out of the ground like daisies? How hard is it to outrun a lava flow? If you step into lava, will you melt into it just like the Wicked Witch of the West?
These may all sound like stupid questions, but they all literally come up in the movie Volcano.
Articles
From the Movie “Volcano”
Volcanoes (All from Patricia!)
The USGS on lava flows and how fast they can be: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vhp/lava_flows.html
The USGS California Volcano Observatory, in case folks are curious about the REAL volcanoes in California:
The Global Volcanism Program, which keeps a database on (most) volcanoes and can be fun to explore:
Three articles discussing what would likely happen if you fell into lava:
https://www.wired.com/2011/12/the-right-and-wrong-way-to-die-when-you-fall-into-lava
(a follow-up on the previous article with more extensive commentary from multiple people who sound like they might also be volcanologists)
https://www.wired.com/2012/01/can-you-walk-on-lava-falling-into-lava-revisited
Article about volcanic bombs:
https://eos.org/editors-vox/caught-on-camera-volcanic-bombs-in-flight
Science Corner