The Weird Thing People Are Using A Volcano For
Camping is made more fun when you sit by the fire roasting marshmallows for S'mores. It's a fun activity that the whole family can do with some supervision for young children.
Usually, roasting marshmallows involves either a campfire or a fire pit, but some people have more adventurous ideas.
When Iceland's Mount Fagradalsfjall, near the capital city of Reykjavik, started showing signs of an eruption, people thought, "hmm, you know what would be cool, if we could make S'mores with lava!" And so, a new trend was born.
According to Mandatory, people have begun to trek to the small eruption to roast marshmallows using lava flowing down the mountain. Social media posts show people just sticking the sugary concoctions to barbecue sticks and holding these above the small lava pools. Since the volcano isn't as violent as other eruptions yet, people can walk up to these areas, though Citizen reported authorities blocked access at first. The government does occasionally close the hiking path to the volcano if gas levels are dangerous.
Of course, people aren't limiting themselves to just marshmallows. Tourists, locals, and scientists even brought hot dogs and sausages to cook on nature's grill.
It's the first eruption on the peninsula for 800 years
Despite Iceland boasting more than 130 volcanoes and being known for geothermal hot springs, the eruption near Mount Fagradalsfjall is the first in 800 years in the region, explained the BBC. So it's understandable that people wanted to go ahead and throw a barbecue among burning lava flows.
Scientists have proved that yes, you can cook with lava, per ScienceAlert. Researchers from Syracuse University grilled steaks and corn on top of synthetic lava that measured 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,093 degrees Celsius). It made for the fastest cooked steak since all it needed was a few seconds on each side.
It's all exciting, but if you're thinking of doing this yourself, be forewarned. Not only is lava extremely hot, but some volcanic fissures can also emit dangerous gases. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) warned the public against roasting marshmallows back in 2018 after Hawaii's Mount Kilauea started erupting, Time wrote. Someone asked the USGS if it's safe to make volcanic vent S'mores. The agency explained not only do vents release sulfuric acid and hydrogen sulfide, but the marshmallow would also smell and taste bad.
So next time you want S'mores, maybe just build that campfire and don't go looking for the nearest lava flow.