🌋 Lava Flow Model

A Bingham plastic fluid: it only flows once shear stress beats the yield stress. Cooling grows a crust that insulates the flow and locks in channels and levees.

Rheology

Yield stress τ_y 1.5 kPa

Plastic viscosity μ 60 ×10³ Pa·s

Eruption

Effusion rate 2.0 m³/s

Slope angle 18°

Regenerates terrain on next Reset

Cooling rate 1.0×

Live readouts

Flow length

0 m

Crust coverage

Active area

0 m²

Front speed

0.0 m/s

Max temp

20 °C

Flow duration

0 s

Bingham plastic: lava only shears once local stress ρgh·sinα exceeds the yield stress τ_y. Below threshold it moves as a rigid plug — that's why lava flows have sharp, stationary margins instead of spreading like water.

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