Introduction to Dragon Fire and Rock Melting Points

Seemingly, one of the many magical phenomena often seen in medieval fantasy series like Game of Thrones (GoT) is the idea of dragon fire being so hot that it instantaneously explodes rocks and stones, akin to the scene in GoT S8E5. However, this concept is fraught with inaccuracies and misconceptions. In reality, the temperature required to make rock and stone explode is much higher than what is typically portrayed in fiction.

Composition of Rocks and Their Melting Points

The majority of rocks consist of aluminosilicates, which are compounds of aluminium and silicon oxides. To evaporate aluminosilicates, one would need temperatures of at least 5000°C. However, for them to literally explode, an even higher temperature is required, achieved in a fraction of a second. For comparison, the surface temperature of the Sun is approximately 5,500°C. This indicates that dragons would need to breath fire hotter than the Sun's surface to achieve such a feat, which is a notion that requires considerably more scientific explanation than a simple fire scene.

Personal Experience with Rock Melting

Understanding the behavior of rocks under extreme heat can be confirmed by practical experience. I have personally experienced this firsthand, having run a clam and lobster bake fundraiser for 15 years. The cyclical nature of this event meant that we had to test rocks each year and replace those that cracked at any time. Typically, a rock could withstand two to three seasons of heat before disintegrating, with a distinct audible crack indicating its failure. This experience further underscores the impracticality of dragon fire in reality.

Historical Context of City Destruction

It is also important to consider the historical context of city destruction. Throughout history, conquering armies rarely destroy the cities they occupy and rule. Such destruction is not typically aligned with strategic or practical goals. For example, during the Mongol conquest of Baghdad, there was no large-scale destruction of the city. The same can be said for the destruction of Carthage by Rome and Warsaw by Nazi Germany during World War II. The only cases where cities were almost completely destroyed were during the Mongols' siege of Moscow and the Mongol destruction of Baghdad, and the Nazis' destruction of Warsaw, which was a calculated act of revenge and reprisal rather than a strategic military necessity.

Conclusion on Dragon Fire and Stone Explosions

The myth of dragon fire instantly explosing rocks is largely based on dramatic and unrealistic portrayals in fictional scenarios. From a scientific standpoint, rocks and stones would require extreme temperatures to explode, likely hotter than the surface of the Sun. Additionally, from historical and practical perspectives, the destruction of cities is not typically a strategic objective, making such events rare and not the norm.

Keywords: dragon fire, rock melting point, Westeros building materials