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Hey, you never know when this knowledge might come in handy!

Note: This only works with a Hollywood truck and James Bond/Sarah Connor in the front seat — plus you are legally required to save the dog.

First, let’s feed the brain a little bit —

— and now let’s feast the eye on lava, lots and lots of:

Basalt lava:

This is from Kilauea’s 2023 summit eruption; dawn starts coming at around the 2-1/2-hour mark.

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Andesitic lava:

Many volcanoes are on a basalt-andesite spectrum, but Arenal here is quite andesitic.

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Rhyolite lava:

Er.

This and a somewhat lower silica magma called dacite have rarely erupted during recorded history, and a good thing, too, since both are very explosive.

Here is video of a rhyolite eruption at Puyehue-Cordon Caulle winding down. (I know it looks explosive but this is the tail end of the rhyolite eruption):

Definitely not a Hawaiian-style basaltic eruption. More on obsidian here.

Here’s what that obsidian flow might look like in 1,300 years:

This is Big Obsidian Flow in Oregon, explored by a vacationing geologist.

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Some lagniappe:

Kindle folks! Check out my Sunday Morning Volcanoes, 2024 project!

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Featured image: US Geological Survey, public domain.

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