What is a pyroclastic flow and why is it so dangerous? | What If

Caught on cam: Boaters flee volcanic ash cloud | CTV News

PYROCLASTIC FLOW A pyroclastic flow is a fast-moving current of extremely hot gas, volcanic ash, and rock fragments that rushes down the slopes of a volcano during explosive eruptions. These flows can reach speeds of over 320 km/h and temperatures exceeding 1,000 °C, making them one of the most dangerous volcanic hazards. Unlike lava flows, pyroclastic flows can travel great distances, destroy everything in their path, and cause widespread devastation due to their speed, heat, and suffocating as

🌋🔥 Nature’s Deadliest Avalanche: The Pyroclastic Flow 🔥🌋 An unstoppable river of ash, gas, and rock — hotter than 1,000°C and faster than a car — racing down a volcano, erasing everything in its path. This is the terrifying force that buried Pompeii, and it’s still a threat today. 😳🌪️ Would you survive if one came your way? #VolcanoFacts #ExtremeEarth #PyroclasticFlow #ScienceExplained #BreakingNature ⚠️ Disclaimer: This reel may include AI-generated visuals for educational purposes. Alway

When a volcano erupts, pyroclastic flows are often the biggest danger to anyone nearby. These fast-flowing currents of rock, ash and hot gas are extremely difficult to study, so researchers created their own. Read the related Nature Geoscience paper here: https://go.nature.com/2Im1bYs | Nature Portfolio

Pyroclastic flows (referred to more often today, as pyroclastic density currents) are rapidly moving avalanches of hot rock, dust and gas that flow down the sides of a volcano. What makes them especially devastating is that they are extremely hot and can travel for several miles from a volcano. They can form during an eruption when hot pulverized rock and gas that first rapidly rises into the sky falls back, forming pyroclastic flows that race down the sides of the volcano. Other times, pyroclas