# Falling in lava



## NerdyCavegirl (Nov 21, 2015)

If a male in his mid-20s, 5'5" and about 135 lbs, wearing thick rainsoaked leather pants and coat, hood drawstring tied tight, and a layer of wool long underwear, a cotton tunic, and rabbit hide boxers falls 9 ft backwards into 2000 degree lava, lands on ass/lower back and right forearm, and is tossed out within 2 seconds by a thankfully pyrokinetic friend, how severely would he be injured?


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## X Equestris (Nov 21, 2015)

I'm not sure, but one has to remember that it's not just being in direct contact that causes burns.  Convection will still be a problem.  I'm not sure survival is possible.


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## Ireth (Nov 21, 2015)

I'm not sure it matters how old your character is, how much they weigh or how tall they are. At that temperature, I would imagine the bursting-into-flames thing would be petty much instant. Any water on/in the clothing would probably be boiled away to nothing before they touched the lava (because of heat convection), and the rest would combust very quickly, also from the heat.


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## Velka (Nov 21, 2015)

Falling 9ft would provide enough velocity to penetrate through any of the insulating skin on top of the flow. He would explode. The moisture in the wet clothing and the high percentage of water in the body would flash vapourize into steam.

This has actually been tested (not with a real person, but with a human sized bag of organic matter).

From the video description:



> Incineration of waste in Erta Ale Volcanoes lava lake. It is frequently discussed whether it is possible to sink in lava. Due to its high density, a person would generally be expected to remain on the surface. Indeed it is possible to briefly walk on certain types of lava if professional heat-protective clothing is worn (do not try yourself). However, the video shows that falling from a height, a person would be able to penetrate the crust of the lake and submerge in it. The test was performed with a box of camp waste (largely food rests) in a bin bag. Estimated weight 30kg, Size 60x60x60cm. Fall height, about 80m. The lake reacts with violent lava fountaining activity, presumably in part due to steam produced from the organic matter.


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## Zadocfish (Nov 23, 2015)

He likely would not survive; if he did, it would be with lifelong, debilitating injury.

Unless it is magical lava, in which case anything goes!


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## Jerseydevil (Dec 3, 2015)

Short answer- he'll be dead, and if not he will wish he was.

Longer answer-Real life volcanologists need to wear full protection suits and take lava samples with long poles. The heat of just being nearby is seriously dangerous, enough to set clothing and hair on fire. This always bothered me about Revenge of the Sith (among other things, a lot of other things come to think of it, but that's another story). Standing next to lava will cause severe burns without even touching it, and any moisture will be evaporated almost instantly. Also, it may very well stick to whatever falls in.


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## Legendary Sidekick (Dec 3, 2015)

Best-case scenario for a super powerful macho warrior: He dies, but he doesn't take it like a wuss. He goes down the way the Fonz would. With his chin and his thumb _up_.


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## SotaMursu (Dec 16, 2015)

Jerseydevil said:


> Short answer- he'll be dead, and if not he will wish he was.
> This always bothered me about Revenge of the Sith (among other things, a lot of other things come to think of it, but that's another story).



I'm Pretty sure anakin bursts to flames with his eyes boiling in the final scene without touching the lava, and survives because his entire body is reconstructed as Darth Vader later. During the fight they're never really close to the lava without having a force field to protect them (on the floating droids).


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## Caged Maiden (Dec 17, 2015)

wow, that garbage bag was amazing.


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## Demesnedenoir (Dec 17, 2015)

Daaaaaang. That's cool. No lava for me, thanks.


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## Humabout (Jan 3, 2016)

Remember, also, that heat isn't the only issue with lava. It often vents a variety of heavier-than-air sulfur compounds that range in toxicity between mustard gas and oh-my-god-kill-me-now. Anyone who is even _near_ lava would need to hold their breath the entire time or suffer some really horrific health effects, up to and including death.


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