What does lava smell like?
Michelle, Caylen, Gehrig, and Clarke
Hi Michelle, Caylen, Gehrig, and Clarke,
Now THERE's a question!! Active lava does have a smell but it is sure
hard to describe. It isn't that it is a strong smell, it is just that I
don't know what to compare it to. The only time I ever smelled something
similar was when I used to build fences and once in a while we'd have to
push big boulders out of the way. If they rolled against another boulder
or scraped another boulder, or fell off a cliff and hit the rocks below
the smell was similar to that of lava. That pretty much makes sense
because two rocks hitting each other will generate a lot of heat, and it
makes sense that hot rocks smell like lava. Anyway, you might want to go
outside and break up some rocks. Right after they break try sticking your
nose against the fresh surface. That will give you a good idea. MAKE
SURE YOU ARE OUTSIDE WHEN YOU BREAK THE ROCKS AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE
WEARING SAFETY GOGGLES!!!
Supposedly lava also smells like a forge (where they make things out of
hot metal) but I've never smelled a forge so I can't tell you about that.
Usually what you smell is burning trees.
Sincerely,
Scott Rowland
Other Categories
Other Questions
To VolcanoWorld