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Pyroclastic Flow Dynamics (2D): Column Collapse & Gravity Current

2D cross-section lab: an eruption column loses buoyancy and collapses onto the flank, spreading as a hot gravity current whose speed, reach and deposit thickness depend on magma temperature, flow density and column height.

Geology & Earth Science2DIntermediate60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 3D version

This 2D companion drives the same column-collapse mechanic as the 3D version — an eruption column that becomes too dense to stay buoyant and falls back under gravity — through a plain cross-section view built for reading the physics rather than orbiting a volcano: temperature, density and column-height sliders feed the same runout and speed estimators as the 3D original, a live readout tracks the flow front and its current speed as it decelerates, and each eruption leaves a persistent ash deposit on the flank so repeated triggers visibly build up a real geological record.

⚙ Under the hood

2D cross-section pyroclastic-flow lab: column collapse, gravity-current deceleration and ash deposition driven by the same temperature/density/column-height estimator functions as the 3D original.

pyroclastic-flowvolcanic-hazardscolumn-collapsevolcanologygeology

2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install

Why does the flow slow down and stop?

The current decelerates as it entrains cooler air and loses momentum to friction with the ground; this simulation models that as a deceleration proportional to the remaining distance to the estimated maximum runout, so the flow front eases to a stop rather than halting abruptly.

Why does higher density mean a shorter flow?

A denser, more particle-rich mixture ("block-and-ash flow") is heavier and more sluggish per unit of driving buoyancy, so it stalls closer to the vent and deposits thicker, coarser material — matching the same trade-off used in the 3D original.