Journey Into an Active Volcano | One Strange Rock

Ken Sims doesn't do nine-to-five. This is his idea of a good day at the office. For over 20 years, he's ventured into active volcanoes across the globe to collect samples of molten lava. Studying this stuff is one of the best ways to understand what's happening in the center of the Earth and the process that protects us from the Sun.

Pretty much that whole bottom terrace now is completely covered in brand-new lava flows. Yeah, with the new lava flow coming around against the wall there, we'll have to watch out. The lava is intensely hot, roughly 2,000 degrees. It will burn pretty much anything on contact.

"Okay, heading over. I'll go over just towards the edge here; we'll have a look."

"Whoa, holy! It's just opened up on that side, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, totally. Whoa! Now can I’m pretty certain that there is absolutely no way we are going down there. That is without doubt mission impossible."

"Okay, well, they're wrong. Cancel admission. Just anybody with half a brain wouldn't go down there."

The new vent means Ken can't take samples from the lake, but he doesn't need to. The vent is firing fresh lava right at it. "There's a lot of lava bombs around here; it's just covered with bombs."

"Wow! I can see the vent from here. It's really rocking and rolling." [Music]