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  • You're trying to sleep.

  • But it's kinda hot in here

  • so you get up to grab a fan.

  • But how can you get out of bed when...

  • the floor is lava!

  • There are several different types of lava,

  • but they all come from the same place.

  • Before it becomes lava,

  • it's called magma,

  • which is thick molten rock

  • flowing under the Earth's crust.

  • Once it erupts,

  • and finds its way above ground,

  • it's then known as lava.

  • Lava flows are the most

  • common volcanic feature on the planet.

  • They cover about 70% of the Earth.

  • And soon, you'll know how to walk on them.

  • Lava flows can be unbelievably hot,

  • and incredibly unpredictable.

  • At the rim of a volcano,

  • the temperature will be around

  • 500 °C (932 °F).

  • So don't stay too long on the lava.

  • Get your thrills, and go relax somewhere

  • that's cool and safe.

  • You're going to want a suit and shoes

  • made of Kevlar® material.

  • Kevlar® is heat resistant,

  • it can be made

  • 8 to 9 times stronger than steel,

  • and it's used for some really cool stuff.

  • Like stopping bullets.

  • And volcanoes,

  • but only up to 426 °C (800 °F).

  • You'll be breathing in huge amounts

  • of sulfur, methane,

  • carbon monoxide, and ammonia.

  • Wear a mask to protect yourself

  • against all the toxic volcanic gases.

  • Get one with a

  • sulfur dioxide scrubber cartridge

  • for the best protection.

  • If you still choose to

  • go through with this stunt,

  • you'll do more of a run

  • across the lava than a walk.

  • The temperature of lava is usually around

  • 1,000 °C (1,832 °F),

  • and at that heat,

  • no suit would be able to protect you.

  • If you imagined taking a nice stroll

  • atop a lava flow,

  • you probably wouldn't make it very far

  • before catching fire.

  • So if you're about to step on some lava,

  • make sure you get a running start.

  • While being able to take

  • a few steps on a lava flow

  • might make you feel cool and invincible,

  • don't forget that volcanoes are a

  • force to be reckoned with.

  • Volcanoes kill 540 people

  • each year on average,

  • and a study by scientists

  • from the University of Bristol

  • shows that most fatalities

  • occur within 10 km (6 mi) of a volcano.

  • Really, the best way you can

  • survive walking on lava

  • is not to do it at all.

  • But you can't always predict

  • when disaster will strike,

  • so it's good to be prepared.

  • What should you do if you're

  • suddenly trapped in a falling elevator?

  • Find out next time on HOW TO SURVIVE.

You're trying to sleep.

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