Pyroclastic flows are some of the most fearsome hazards posed by erupting volcanoes. These avalanches of superheated ash, gas, and rock are responsible for some of the most famous volcanic disasters ...

A pyroclastic flow (also known as a pyroclastic density current or a pyroclastic cloud) is a fast-moving current of hot gas and volcanic matter (collectively known as tephra) that flows along the ...

Even at the the far edge of the mud and ash that came from the Pompeii volcano’s explosion, the heat was sufficient to instantly kill everyone, even those inside their homes. And that is how the ...