1. LAVA FLOWS
![The thought experiment: Could i build a house that would survive a volcanic eruption? (© Sam Falconer) © Sam Falconer/BBC Focus © Sam Falconer/BBC Focus](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2018/07/VolcanoFinal1_0-5a4d9f7.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Hawaiian and Icelandic volcanoes produce slow-moving lava. Lava temperature is 700-1,200°C, so it melts or ignites most things.
A house on stilts of titanium or tungsten might survive, if the stilts were strong enough to withstand the lava pushing against them.
2. AIRBORNE ASH
![VolcanoFinal2_0 © Sam Falconer/BBC Focus](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2018/07/VolcanoFinal2_0-79b3205.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Violent volcanoes, such as Vesuvius and Mount St Helens, tend to explode and throw up several cubic kilometres of ash and rock. A 30cm-thick ash layer can be heavy enough to cause roofs to collapse, so you’ll need a reinforced roof with a steep pitch to stop the ash building up too much.
3. POISONOUS GAS
![VolcanoFinal3_0 © Sam Falconer/BBC Focus](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/41/2018/07/VolcanoFinal3_0-6f5922d.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
After an eruption, pyroclastic flows can engulf a town in superheated steam and poisonous sulphur dioxide or asphyxiating carbon dioxide. To escape this, you’ll need an airtight home with an air supply – preferably underground. But ensure your access hatch doesn’t get blocked!
Read more:
- The thought experiment: What would happen if the supervolcano under Yellowstone erupted?
- What makes the rock inside volcanoes so hot?
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