Is it possible to stop a lava flow? As AccuWeather points out, many have tried in the past.
The U.S. Air Force tried to bomb the lava tubes at Mauna Loa in 1935. Iceland tried to cool a lava flow with frigid cold seawater in 1973, and people also tried building barriers to divert the flow of the lava from Italy's Mount Etna in 1983.
[Ads /]
While these are creative ways to slow down the flow, the United States Geological Survey says it's ultimately a losing battle. The best bet is to work proactively to protect communities potentially in the path of a lava flow.