🌋 Volcano Lava Flow Simulator

Explore how lava viscosity, temperature, and slope shape volcanic eruptions

Sky
Volcano
Hot Lava
Cooled Rock
Ground
Town
Lava Flow Speed
12 mph
Flow Distance
8 mi
Lava Viscosity
Low
Ash Cloud Height
4 mi
⚙️ Adjust the Volcano
🌡️ Lava Temperature 1100°C
🪨 Silica Content 50% (Basalt)
⛰️ Slope Steepness Moderate
📋 Try These Real Volcanoes
💡 What's Happening?

When a volcano erupts, melted rock called lava flows down the mountain. How far and how fast it flows depends on what the lava is made of and how steep the mountain is!

Try moving the sliders and watch what happens. Hot, thin lava flows fast. Cool, thick lava moves slow — like cold honey!

⚛️ Physics Friday™
Earth Science Lab Series • This Month™ Educational Activities

On Fridays, at least twice a month, we explore fascinating physics concepts through interactive simulations that often touch other areas as well — this simulator belongs to our Earth Science Lab Series and demonstrates how silica content, temperature, and slope combine to determine how lava behaves, the core science behind some of Earth's most dramatic events.

📅 This Month™ • Timely, standards-aligned educational resources for K–5 classrooms and families