What happens if you put trash in a volcano?
The ideal trash incinerator would be a slow-erupting volcano that gradually spews lava out onto the surface of the earth, like the volcanoes in Hawaii, called shield volcanoes. If you’re close enough to throw trash into the exploding mass of molten rock, ash, and gases, you’re already dead.
Why can we dump nuclear waste in volcanoes?
The lava would have to not only melt the fuel rods but also strip the uranium of its radioactivity. Volcanoes aren’t hot enough to melt the zirconium (melting point 3,371˚) that encases the fuel, let alone the fuel itself: The melting point of uranium oxide, the fuel used at most nuclear power plants, is 5,189˚.
What if you dumped an iceberg into a volcano?
The ice might turn into steam faster than it can escape, creating a massive steam explosion. This steam would create even more pressure inside the volcano, causing it to explode. Hardened magma, called tephra, would fly through the air. Some of the pieces could be as large as a house.
Why can’t we dump trash in lava?
First of all, volcanoes are highly unstable and extremely hard to get to. It would be hard to find a suitable opening to dump the garbage into. It would be very expensive to transport all the garbage to an active volcano.
Would lava melt a person?
Most lava is very hot—about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. At those temperatures, a human would probably burst into flames and either get extremely serious burns or die. Unlike a lake, people won’t immediately sink into lava.
What’s the oldest active volcano?
Etna
How old is the oldest volcano? The oldest volcano is probably Etna and that is about 350,000 years old. Most of the active volcanoes that we know about seem to be less than 100,000 years old.
What would happen if you dropped uranium in lava?
It would melt because of the heat of the lava, not a nuclear meltdown. It would not change the radioactivity at all. Heat and temperature have no effect on radioactivity. It would mix in with all the natural radioactivity in the volcano: uranium, thorium, potassium, etc.
What do you throw into a volcano?
Begin the challenge by throwing grass, an apple, and a tomato into the volcano. Now, throw a computer, TV, and game console into the volcano.
Can we throw trash into the sun?
However, even though the Sun is certainly hot enough to melt and ionize any terrestrial matter we send into contact with it, it’s an extraordinarily difficult task to actually send anything, like our garbage, into the Sun.
Why can’t we burn trash?
Burning household garbage in burn barrels, stoves, and fire pits creates pollution that’s dangerous to human health and contaminates the air, water, and soil.
What happens if you throw trash into a volcano?
The vent of a volcano is a treacherous environment full of poisonous gases, lava splatter, and projectile rocks; and things only get worse once you start throwing stuff inside. In 2002, a group of Ethiopian researchers threw a 30 kg (66 lb) bag of trash into a volcano, and the results were explosive.
Is it possible to dump trash into a lava lake?
Suffice to say, dumping trash into lava lakes would never be a job you could get health insurance for. Lastly, lava lakes are rare. Most volcanoes don’t have them, and right now, only a handful exist around the world.
Are stratovolcanoes safe for the town dump?
Stratovolcanoes are known for their explosive eruptions, caused by the build-up of pressure from hot gas and magma. In other words, they’re probably not the safest location for the town dump.
What happens if you drive up to the vent of a volcano?
If you were one of the first waste collectors hired to drive up to the vent of a volcano, you’d quickly start to question your career choices. The vent of a volcano is a treacherous environment full of poisonous gases, lava splatter, and projectile rocks; and things only get worse once you start throwing stuff inside.