Hot Shots: Photography, music, and pizza from inside a volcano

By Khaleel Rahman,

Jessica Severin de Martinez, Meg Dalton, Megan Fitzgerald, Catie Talarski, Chion Wolf

Published January 10, 2024 at 9:29 PM EST

1 of 8 — An assistant peers inside Marum volcano in Vanuatu, while testing the usefulness of the heat proximity suit and air tank while abseiling.

An assistant peers inside Marum volcano in Vanuatu, while testing the usefulness of the heat proximity suit and air tank while abseiling.

Brad White / Bradley White

2 of 8 — Image of Bradley White testing the route into the Marum volcano on the Vanuatu island of Ambrym.

Image of Bradley White testing the route into the Marum volcano on the Vanuatu island of Ambrym.

Supplied by Bradley White

3 of 8 — An adventurer moves towards the lava lake edge inside Nyiragongo volcano, 500 metres inside the worlds widest crater. The ledge in the background is one of three levels to descend inside.

An adventurer moves towards the lava lake edge inside Nyiragongo volcano, 500 metres inside the worlds widest crater. The ledge in the background is one of three levels to descend inside.

Bradley White

4 of 8 — Image of Bradley White testing the main line into the Marum volcano on the Vanuatu island of Ambrym. This lava lake has subsequently been covered in by thousands of tonnes of volcanic rock.

Image of Bradley White testing the main line into the Marum volcano on the Vanuatu island of Ambrym. This lava lake has subsequently been covered in by thousands of tonnes of volcanic rock.

Supplied by Bradley White

5 of 8 — Brad White is a teacher and photographer from Auckland, New Zealand, who has photographed 16 volcanoes around the world.

Brad White is a teacher and photographer from Auckland, New Zealand, who has photographed 16 volcanoes around the world.

6 of 8 — Leif Karlstrom is a volcanologist, musician, and associate professor of earth sciences at the University of Oregon. He and his colleagues at the Volcano Listening Project used ten years of data from the Hawaiian volcano Kīlauea to compose the song, "Hotel Kīlauea".

Leif Karlstrom is a volcanologist, musician, and associate professor of earth sciences at the University of Oregon. He and his colleagues at the Volcano Listening Project used ten years of data from the Hawaiian volcano Kīlauea to compose the song, "Hotel Kīlauea".

7 of 8 — David Garcia is the chef and owner of Pizza Pacaya pizzeria, where he cooks food entirely with heat from flowing lava on top of Guatemala's Pacaya volcano.

David Garcia is the chef and owner of Pizza Pacaya pizzeria, where he cooks food entirely with heat from flowing lava on top of Guatemala's Pacaya volcano.

8 of 8 — David Garcia is the chef and owner of Pizza Pacaya pizzeria, where he cooks food entirely with heat from flowing lava on top of Guatemala's Pacaya volcano.

David Garcia is the chef and owner of Pizza Pacaya pizzeria, where he cooks food entirely with heat from flowing lava on top of Guatemala's Pacaya volcano.

Beyond the smoke and ash lies a symphony unheard. Prepare to meet a composer who interprets the music of volcanic data, a photographer who unmasks the terrifying beauty of volcanoes, and a chef who braves the inferno to cook the world's most intense pizza pie.

For a full transcript of this episode, click here.

GUESTS:

Brad White: Teacher and photographer from Auckland, New Zealand, who has photographed 16 volcanoes around the world
Leif Karlstrom: Volcanologist, musician, and associate professor of earth sciences at the University of Oregon. He and his colleagues at the Volcano Listening Project used ten years of data from the Hawaiian volcano Kīlauea to compose the song, "Hotel Kīlauea"
David Garcia: Chef and owner of Pizza Pacaya Pizzeria, where he cooks food entirely with heat from flowing lava on top of Guatemala's Pacaya volcano. He is interpreted by Miguel Martinez

Jessica Severin de Martinez, Khaleel Rahman, Meg Fitzgerald, Meg Dalton, and Catie Talarski contributed to this show.

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