Factual error: The volcanic lava in this movie moves incredibly fast in the subway line. This is not only inaccurate, but also ridiculous and unnecessary. Volcanic lava can possibly move faster when in a concealed area that insulates it, but insulated lava cannot move that fast.
Factual error: The entire time the volcano is shown erupting, the volcanic lava is instantly melting everything it touches despite the fact that in real life volcanic lava would not have any human being melting because lava is more dense than water. Also lava in real life cannot instantly melt things. And no object should be sinking if caught in a lava flow.
Factual error: In the scene during the evacuation of the Cedar Hospital, Dr Calder is assessing a patient and uses the defibrillator on him. She puts the paddles in the wrong spots on the chest - right hand one over the abdomen and the other over the left lower chest. As a doctor she should know to put the right hand paddle over the upper right chest. This is important for the normal electrical pathway through the heart to reset and restart normal cardiac activity. (01:27:22)
Continuity mistake: After the bus is flipped on its side and Roarke and Barnes stop to rescue a man lying in ash, a tree falls blocking their escape with high flames, forcing a ladder truck to save the trio. When the ladder is unable to be lifted because of the weight and extreme heat, the fireman explains he will have to swing them out instead. The ladder swings in the direction of the flaming, downed tree, but the flames from the tree no longer seem to be a hindrance.
Character mistake: The downed firetruck was referred to as engine 17, however it is actually engine 23.
Character mistake: When they're literally watching lava creep down the street Roark says "whatever this stuff is" (something like that). 2 things: 1) how does he not realise it's lava, and 2) although it's weird to have lava in LA, Amy already told him that lava could push through from the tar pits, so he should have been able to figure it out.
Suggested correction: Even if he knows what it is, he is still in denial and just doesn't want to say the name of it, as it's uncomfortable to say.
Factual error: Mount Wilshire is basically a shield volcano in the form of a tall stratovolcano because shield volcanoes only shoot ashes, gas, and lava (and pyroclastics for pyroclastic shield volcanoes). The lava itself behaves as if it was sentient. During the lava geyser scene, small particles of molten lava seem to be falling directly on people despite the fact that no-one was anywhere near it except for Mike, his daughter, and the little boy.
