What is Lava?

Lava is the molten rock that spits from an erupting volcano. It is extremely hot, reaching temperatures as high as 1300 to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit (704 to 1093 degrees Celsius). In a volcanic eruption, the lava is in liquid form. When it solidifies, it forms igneous rock. However, it may take a long enough time to cool down, traveling long distances before becomes solid.

Molten rock is not always called lava. Before a volcano erupts and the molten rock is still underground, it is called magma. In addition to being a little cooler, molten rock is not radically different once it is above the ground. The distinction between magma and lava is basically made to make geological occurrences easier to understand and explain.

What is Lava

Lava eruptions are no coincidence. Metro, the magma contains gas bubbles. These gas bubbles are usually preserved from expansion by the pressure of the layers of superimposed rocks. Sometimes, however, the gas pressure can increase enough that the bubbles begin to grow and increase, making magma with them. When pressure rises to sufficiently high levels, the volcano can fracture, allowing magma to escape, allowing the bubbles to grow rapidly, and causing a lava eruption.

Lava can be propelled to incredible heights; A lava fountain can fire up to 2000 feet (609.6 meters) above a volcano. As with the eruption itself, it is the gas that defines these explosive propulsions in motion. As gas bubbles expand and burst in the magma, it rises to the surface and is forced and volcano. Lava flows at different speeds, ranging from very slow to relatively fast. One of the fastest flows measured is approximately 37 miles (59.5 km) per hour.

Many people do not know that the lava is always red. It can be bright orange, bright red, red red, or dark brown, depending on its temperature. At its hottest, above about 1832 degrees Fahrenheit (1000 degrees Celsius), it is bright orange, while it is dark red at temperatures between 1472 and 1832 degrees Fahrenheit (800 to 1000 degrees Celsius). Lava is dark red at temperatures between 1202and 1472 degrees Fahrenheit (650 to 800 degrees Celsius), and brownish red at temperatures ranging from 932 to 1202 degrees Fahrenheit (500 to 650 degrees Celsius). In its solid form, the lava is black.

There are a few different types of lava. Each is classified by its silica content. Types of lava are basalt, andesite, dacite and rhyolite. Basalt has the lowest silica content, while rhyolite has the highest. The silica content affects the way lava flows. For example, basaltic lavas are given, generalized thin streams; Rhyolite is more rigid and flows at a slower pace.

• Lava can vary in color - orange, red, brown and other colors - depending on its heat.
• Molten rock that bursts from a volcano in liquid form is known as lava.
• A lava eruption can fire up to 2000 feet above a volcano.