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Geology & Earth Sciences vocabulary · Volcanoes

Lava

Meaning in geology & earth sciences, with examples

/ˈlɑːvə/nounCore term

In geology & earth sciences, lava means: Molten rock that has come out of a volcano onto the Earth's surface, and also the solid rock that forms when it cools.

In Turkish: lav

How it is used

Lava flows, pours, spreads and cools. Volcanologists talk about lava flows, lava fields and lava domes, and describe basaltic lava as runny and silica-rich lava as sticky. It is usually uncountable, but geologists use 'lavas' for different types.

Example sentences

  1. The lava flow destroyed several houses but moved slowly enough for people to leave.

  2. The columns in this basalt formed as the lava cooled and shrank.

Common collocations

  • lava flow
  • lava field
  • lava dome
  • molten lava
  • basaltic lava
  • magmaMolten or partly molten rock beneath the Earth's surface, often containing crystals and dissolved gases. It is called lava once it reaches the surface.
  • volcanoAn opening in the Earth's crust where magma, gas and ash come out, and the mountain or hill built around it by repeated eruptions.
  • eruptTo send out lava, ash and gas, either in a violent explosion or as a quieter flow of lava. Said of volcanoes, and also of geysers.
  • basaltA dark, fine-grained igneous rock formed when lava cools quickly at or near the surface. It is the most common volcanic rock and makes up the ocean floor.

More terms: Volcanoes

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