This will take tens of thousands of years, and if the blob comes in contact with water, an explosion or water table contamination is likely to result. Eventually, as the lava melts through the bottom of the nuclear plant, it will transform into a heavy metal.

In the case of the Elephant's Foot, the mix is classified as 'black ceramic' corium.Īs the lava emits heat and comes in contact with other substances throughout its long decay process, it continues to morph and change. The Chernobyl accident contained five different types of corium - Black Ceramic, Brown Ceramic, Slag-like Granulated, Pumice and Metal. This phase of the lava is known as 'Chernobylite,' and contains up to ten percent solid uranium. Some of the lava in the reactor is a specific mix of zirconium, silicate and radioactive uranium. The intense heat literally melted the cement and sand within the plant to create a type of lava.ĭue to the isotopic instability of corium, it changes over time, in specific phases. When the plant 'melted down' in April of 1986, the heat of the radioactive material rose to around 2,255 degrees Celsius (Over 4,000 degrees Farenheit). In this case, the Elephant's Foot corium is in a room within the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Russia. It is made of a substance called 'corium,' which is named for the result of a radioactive slurry that is created when a nuclear reactor core melts down. However, it is dense, with a weight of several tons. It isn't very big, just a couple of meters in diameter. Photo courtesy of The Elephant’s Foot is possibly the most dangerous chunk of refuse in the world.

Angels Cried by Stephen L. Wilson