Lava

Lava is molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption. When first expelled from a volcanic vent, it is a liquid at temperatures from 700-1,200 °C. Throughout the games it often serves as trap.

Occurrence

Tomb Raider

Lava appears in the first Tomb Raider game during Atlantis, either as a pool or oozing from the walls.

Tomb Raider II

In Tomb Raider II Lara will encounter lava in the Floating Islands level.

Tomb Raider Anniversary

Lava returns in Anniversary in the form of pools, puddles and waterfalls.

Lava also appears in several levels of other games icluding Temple of Puna in Tomb Raider 3, The Colloseum in Chronicles and The Lost Domain in Angel of Darkness.

Miscellaneous facts

• Pompeii and Herculaneum, Italy were destroyed by a form of lava known as "tephra" in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD[1].

• Lara is unlikely to be able to use stepping stones through a lava field (as in Tomb Raider) without bursting into flames[2]

• In Anniversary, Natla survives a fall into molten lava. On June 12, 1985, geologist George Ulrich had just taken a temperature reading of fresh lava, 2,079 degrees. Suddenly a lava crust broke, and Ulrich stepped into the lava over his boots but was protected by NOMEX burn-resistant clothing. Another geologist pulled him out in about five seconds. Ulrich was flown to Straub Clinic & Hospital on Oahu for treatment of first-, second- and third-degree burns. He recovered fully.[3]