Today, lava tubes and cracks in the lava flows are home to insects, spiders, lizards, and rodents. Bats inhabit some of these spaces, flying out to feed at night.
A curious variety of animals nourish themselves off chemicals released by an eruption. Despite the conditions, their populations thrive and grow. There are shrimp and crabs that feed off the nutrients in hardened lava.
Not only do sharks survive in underwater volcanoes, but it seems that they thrive there. In fact, Kavachi's entire marine community appears to be accustomed to its acidic, blistering hot water and frequent eruptions.
We conclude that the optimal heat generated by lava at 2,190°F cannot melt the tungsten because of its high melting point. Other examples of metals and ceramics that can withstand lava's temperature include; titanium, iridium, iron alloys, osmium, nickel alloys, aluminum oxide, mullite, and silicon nitride.
Yes, it's quite possible for living organisms to live in cool, solidified lava. We see that all over the place on the Big Island. Molten lava on the otherhand is far too hot for anything to live in it.
First, lava is more than three times denser than water; because humans are made mostly of water, it's three times denser than us, too. The laws of physics therefore dictate that we will float on its surface, not sink.
First, although lava at 2,000 degrees F can melt many materials in our trash — including food scraps, paper, plastics, glass and some metals — it's not hot enough to melt many other common materials, including steel, nickel and iron.
In fact there have been 2 cases at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory where a geologist fell into lava. Fortunately in both instances the lava was not very deep and they were able to get out quickly. Both ended up in the hospital and it was a scary and painful experience. Both recovered fine.
Lava's temperature can range between 1,300 to 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit. For example, lava traveling through a Hawaiian volcano's tubes, or underground passageways, is about 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the United States Geological Survey.
More commonly, lava enters the sea via near-surface tubes encased within the bench, building at the ocean edge. The basalt forms elongate lava tongues and channelized flows that extend up to 70 m (230 ft) down the steep submarine slope. The temperature of the lava in the tubes is about 1250 degrees C (2,200 degrees F).
It is said that Cherufe inhabit the magma pools found deep within Chilean volcanoes and are the source of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Cherufe are also said to be the source of "magicians' ardent stones" (meteorites and volcanic stones) that cause damage in volcanic regions.
The volcano sharks are a small group of different species of sharks living, and thriving in a hostile environment. The extremely hot and acidic waters surround the Kavachi: a highly active submarine volcano. In fact, they even live right inside the caldera of the volcano.
Lava is indeed very hot, reaching temperatures of 2,200° F or more. But even lava can't hold a candle to the sun! At its surface (called the "photosphere"), the sun's temperature is a whopping 10,000° F! That's about five times hotter than the hottest lava on Earth.
The extreme heat would probably burn your lungs and cause your organs to fail. “The water in the body would probably boil to steam, all while the lava is melting the body from the outside in,” Damby says. (No worries, though, the volcanic gases would probably knock you unconscious.)
Depending on its composition, lava ranges from 10,000 to 100 million times as viscous as water. This means even the runniest molten rock has the viscosity of room temperature honey. Unless you're on a very steep slope, you can generally outrun it.
Some have thought to spray the lava flow with water, hoping it will cool and freeze the front of the flow. But the extreme heat behind the crust, which is still molten, will allow the flow to continue.
Lava can reach 1200 degrees celsius (2120F, 1473K). At about 200 degrees celsius (473K) you will melt, being a large amount hotter then the required “melting” point, your skin will melt off your bones. You will not die instantly, it will be quite painful, you may or may not go into shock or pass out.
Work from Pompeii and Herculaneum, including our own, also shows that skeletons can survive even spectacular volcanic eruptions. Since bodies can't be totally destroyed, attempts are often made to hide them instead.
So if you are dropped onto lava from 30 metres, it would be like smacking on hard hot rock, which is painful. The lava would not instantly kill you, but your death would be within a few seconds. The heat would flash boil the water in your body, causing you to bubble and steam.
Lava does have a smell – sort of acrid, and a bit sulfury (most of the sulfur gas comes out at the eruptive vent, but there is a little in the lava itself).