LAVA FLOW

- Lava flow is a highly elongated mass of molten rock materials cascading downslope
from an erupting vent. The lava flow being extruded has low silica and low water
contents. Lava is erupted during either non-explosive activity or explosive lava
fountains.
- When a volcano erupts, the molten rock (or magma) that comes out of the Earth is
called lava.
- Lava flows may be erupted from vents located near their base. Shield volcanoes
mostly consist of stacks of fluid lava flows emitted from vents located at the summit
or on rift zones aligned along its flanks.
- Most lava flows are formed by the eruption of hot (around 1200oC) basalt magma.

As the lava moves away from the vent and cools, it can take many forms, some of which are
shown here:

Pahoehoe (ropy lava) forms when hot lava skins over as it is flowing. The skin rucks up to
form shapes like coiled rope (see below).
Columnar Joints

Columnar Joints form as large lava flows cool and slowly contract. This causes the rock to
break up to form hexagon-shaped joints.
Aa

Aa or “blocky lava” is formed from a rubble of solidified lava lumps (often full of trapped
gas bubbles), carried along by a relatively cool, slowly moving lava flow beneath.