Volcanic Rock Helps Predict Speed of Future Lava Flow
If a volcano’s lava is low in silica, the lava will move more quickly during an eruption.
Silica is a key component of sand but also of lava. The less there is, the more fluid the lava, and the faster it flows. Nyiragongo has some of the lowest-silica-content-lava on the planet, but there’s another clue to the lava’s speed—and it’s not good news.
