Pele was really pissed.
A pahoehoe lava flow is around 2000 degrees fahrenheit. When it reaches the ocean this heat vaporizes the sea water instantly. When this happens chloride from the salt combines with hydrogen in the water to form a plume of hydrochloric acid that’s then carried away by the wind, often on shore. Needless to say, not a place to be.
You know what else contains chloride and hydrogen? Whiz. The kind one might have to take after walking over a vast tract of lava for several hours.
As I straddled the crack I looked down at the glowing red line three feet beneath the surface. I understood the dangers that lay before me, but with the heavy wind at my back in my utter seclusion I felt confident in my distance ability.
Yes, with just a simple lava flow and an urge to take a leak, one can make hydrochloric acid. Just make sure there’s no one around, because seriously, that shit’s dangerous.
Science!
