The US Geological Survey is now warning residents of the island of Hawaii to avoid roasting marshmallows over lava flows or open volcanic vents, a report says.
The government office responded to a recent tweet by Vermont resident Jay Furr who wondered about the safety of eating a roasted puff cooked over volcanic flows, the BBC reported.
“Is it safe to roast marshmallows over volcanic vents? Assuming you had a long enough stick, that is? Or would the resulting marshmallows be poisonous?” Furr asked via Twitter.
https://twitter.com/jayfurr/status/1001280299710472192
While it may seem like commons sense, the USGS warned against the idea, saying, “We’re going to have to say no,” before going on to explain that marshmallows cooked that way would “taste BAD.”
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
The USGS recently warned residents about the noxious fumes emanating from the Kilauea volcano. The service also warned of something it is calling “laze,” a mixture of lava and haze that will quickly overwhelm someone who is left unaware of their surroundings.
Laze forms when the 2,000-degree lava slams into the sea causing steam and even little explosions.
“Lava entering the ocean causes a chemical reaction and can result in small explosions, sending tiny particles of hydrochloric acid and volcanic glass in the air,” added Jessica Johnson, a geophysicist at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.