How come the stargate doesn't burn through the iris?

I may just not remember this, but doesn't the Stargate horizon destroy everything in its way when the gate is activated? How then, can the Stargate's Iris stay in tact?

Answer

The iris is so close to the event horizon that it disrupts the vortex.

It's a handwave, sure, but the official explanation is that "if the event horizon is blocked to within a few microns, the vortex will be suppressed." (source)

This works because they make a distinction between the vortex and the event horizon. The event horizon is the near end of the wormhole; the vortex is the momentary eruption of destructive energy which heralds the creation of the wormhole. When a solid object is extremely close to the event horizon when the wormhole forms, the associated energy burst is suppressed.

Once the wormhole is established, the iris has the same effect on any matter coming through; it disrupts whatever comes out of the event horizon, preventing matter from forming just the same way it suppressed the vortex.

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