A laser weapon that melts rock in moments?

Sometimes things are not what they seem, and that can also happen in the field of cutting-edge science and technology. At first glance at this photograph, we might get the impression that the scientist is testing a revolutionary weapon, with which he has aimed at a section of this rock, pulled the trigger and a laser or other beam of very high power, has melted that part of the rock, turning it into lava and causing it to take on the characteristic appearance of a red-hot pasty mass.

However, the lava in the photograph is of natural origin and the remarkable instrument wielded by the scientist is used to measure the viscosity of lava more effectively than more primitive instruments. Specifically, this scientist made the measurement near an erupting volcano in Iceland.

This new instrument, developed and tested by Martin Harris’ team at the University at Buffalo in New York, USA, will help to better understand the behaviour of different types of molten rock and improve digital models of such behaviour, allowing for more reliable predictions of the advance of lava.

These forecasts are critical for the millions of people living near volcanoes.

In the event of a volcanic eruption, this type of information is vital so that authorities can prepare an evacuation in the best possible conditions and implement the most effective measures to try to protect buildings and infrastructure. The speed of lava advancement depends largely on its degree of viscosity. The thinner it is, the faster it can move.

(Photo: Martin Harris)

Harris and his colleagues present the technical details of their new instrument and the pioneering measurements they made with it in the academic journal Review of Scientific Instruments, under the title “A new portable penetrometer for measuring the viscosity of active lava”. (Source: NCYT by Amazings)