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Volcanic Eruption: Magma Viscosity & Eruption Style (2D)

2D conduit-flow model: set silica content, magma temperature, dissolved gas and conduit radius, and watch viscosity, exsolved gas fraction, mass eruption rate and eruption style respond in real time, from a slow effusive lava flow to a Plinian ash column.

Nature & Climate2DModerate60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 3D version
2d-volcanic-eruption-magma-simulation ↗ Open standalone

This 2D companion turns the volcano into a working conduit-flow model instead of a fixed animation: silica content and chamber temperature set the melt viscosity through an Arrhenius law, dissolved gas content sets how much volatile exsolves as the magma decompresses on its way up, and the conduit radius sets how easily it can escape. The live readout panel tracks viscosity, exsolved gas fraction, mass eruption rate and exit velocity, and the canvas view switches between a slow effusive lava flow and an explosive ash column — Strombolian, Vulcanian or Plinian — the moment the fragmentation threshold is crossed, exactly as it does in real basaltic-to-rhyolitic eruptions.

⚙ Under the hood

2D conduit-flow model of a volcanic eruption: silica content and temperature drive an Arrhenius viscosity law, dissolved gas sets the exsolved gas fraction, and the fragmentation threshold switches the eruption between effusive lava flow and an explosive ash column.

volcanic eruptionmagma viscosityconduit flowexsolved gaseruption stylevolcanology

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

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