Energy
US Geological Survey PSA: Please, Don’t Roast Marshmallows Over Lava
No featured image available
A Twitter user identified as Jay Furr asked the United States Geological Service (USGS) on Tuesday if eating marshmallows roasted by the heat of volcanic vents could be dangerous.
Erm…we’re going to have to say no, that’s not safe. (Please don’t try!) If the vent is emitting a lot of SO2 or H2S, they would taste BAD. And if you add sulfuric acid (in vog, for example) to sugar, you get a pretty spectacular reaction.
— USGS Volcanoes (@USGSVolcanoes) May 29, 2018
“Erm…we’re going to have to say no, that’s not safe. (Please don’t try!),” the USGS responded. “If the vent is emitting a lot of SO2 or H2S, they would taste BAD. And if you add sulfuric acid (in vog, for example) to sugar, you get a pretty spectacular reaction.”
Furr, a resident of Vermont, persisted, asking USGS experts whether the outcome would be the same if he cooked hotdogs instead.
Hmm.
Okay, what about roasting hot dogs?
— Jay Furr (@jayfurr) May 29, 2018
The USGS had not responded to Furr’s second query by press time.
In anticipation that someone curious about the “pretty spectacular reaction” between sulfuric acid and sugar decides to start chuking bits of sugary gelatin into the mouth of a volcano, The Daily Caller News Foundation has attached a video showing the chemical reaction.
Hawaii’s Mount Kilauea has been spewing ash, gas and lava since May 3. Volcanic fissures have opened across Big Island, through which lava has flowed covering highways, burying cars and destroying structures.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].