Why Iceland's lava is so hard to stop | About That

The Nugget

Lava flows are practically unstoppable due to their intense heat, density, and the physical changes they undergo, such as solidifying into barriers that may redirect their own flow. Attempts to control or redirect lava, from trenches to bombing, have had limited and often temporary success.

Key quotes

"I've heard lava described as liquid Doom because it is both destructive and Unstoppable."
"Historically, attempts like bombing lava or cooling it with water have shown the lack of control over what the lava will eventually do."
"These barriers worked about 2 months ago when..."
"It's incredibly expensive, it's not cost-effective from the economic point of view but there's an emotional part in which a government shows people that they're prepared to protect their properties."

Lava's path is determined by the path of least resistance, generally downhill, destroying or engulfing anything in its way due to its high temperature and density.
The outermost lava cools to form a solid crust, which can create barriers that redirect the lava flow. This complicates efforts to redirect lava with trenches or barriers, as lava can harden and form new paths.

Bombing lava, attempted nearly a century ago by George S. Patton in Hawaii, aimed to divert lava from destructive paths. The uncertainty of the lava's subsequent actions rendered this method ineffective.
An Icelandic attempt involved using cold seawater to freeze lava in place to protect a community, which had mixed results and is still debated for its effectiveness.

The focus has shifted from stopping lava to diverting it away from valuable infrastructure and homes using large earth barriers, constructed with extensive manpower and resources.
These barriers aim to reroute the lava flow rather than halt it, acknowledging the inevitability of lava's movement and the practical impossibility of completely stopping it.

Diverting lava is a costly, temporary solution that does not stop the flow but merely delays it, highlighting the need for efficient evacuation and risk management strategies over futile attempts to stop or redirect the flow.

🌋 Lava: Nature's Unstoppable Force - Attempts to control it have ranged from bombing to freezing, yet lava continues to carve its path, reminding us of the limitations of human intervention against natural phenomena.
💡 Density Dilemma - Liquefied rock, or lava, can be up to three times denser than water, making its flow both forceful and destructive, easily bulldozing obstacles in its path.
🔥 Hot and Heavy - With temperatures exceeding 1000 degrees Celsius, lava is not only a scorching menace but also a massive challenge due to its heat and mass, making containment efforts like trench digging nearly impossible.
🚧 Barrier Brief - Constructing earth barriers represents a modern, albeit temporary, strategy aiming not to stop but to steer lava away from critical areas, safeguarding human property and lives at a significant cost.

This summary contains AI-generated information and may have important inaccuracies or omissions.