Lava

volcanoes · geology · extreme heat

Liquid hot rock. Lava is magma (melted rock from inside Earth) that comes out onto the surface through volcanoes or cracks in the crust. It's incredibly hot, usually between 800 and 1,200 degrees Celsius, which is hot enough to melt most metals.

Cooled into stone. When lava pours out and cools down, it hardens into solid volcanic rock. The same word 'lava' describes both the flowing liquid and the rock it becomes after it cools.

Comes from underground. Lava starts as magma deep inside Earth or other planets and moons. When pressure builds up, it forces its way up and bursts through the surface, sometimes explosively into the air.

Land and sea. Lava doesn't only erupt on land. It can also burst out on the ocean floor underwater, creating new volcanic rock beneath the waves and sometimes even forming new islands.

Different paths. Sometimes lava shoots straight onto the ground, and sometimes it explodes high into the atmosphere before raining back down. Either way, it reshapes the landscape as it spreads and solidifies.