At volcanoes with silica-rich magmas, like the rhyolites of the Mono-Inyo Craters (first photo), eruption temperatures are somewhere around 800°-1000°C (1470° - 1830°F). At volcanoes like Medicine Lake which produce basaltic to basaltic andesite magmas (second photo), the eruption temperature can be as high as 1100° to 1250°C (2010°-2280°F). But what does this feel like if you could (safely) experience the temperatures in an eruption?

Let's start with some household appliances. A really fancy hairdryer could get up to 93°C (200°F), while a regular oven might be able to manage 260°C (500°F). So the hairdryer could give you an idea of the temperature of a fumarole or hot springs, while an oven would get you about a quarter of the way to magma temperature. If you've ever stood in front of an open oven, that's pretty hot already!

Maybe you know a restaurant with a pizza oven. These might operate at 370°-540°C (700°-1000°F), and they can cook a pizza in only a minute or two. That's about the average temperature of a pyroclastic flow, which are known for burning and melting everything in their path. Or, maybe you've seen a glassblowing demonstration? Melting raw materials into workable glass happens around 1320°C (2400°F), and working temperature is 870°-1040°C (1600°-1900°F). Those are nearly the right temperature ranges to simulate the feel of molten lava - so if you really want to know what a lava flow feels like up close, you just need to stand near a glassblowing furnace! (But definitely don't do this without permission from the glassblower. There's a good reason they and volcanologists both wear protective gear!)