Lava and Magma Are the Same Rock in Different Places
Lava is molten rock at the surface. Underground, the identical material has a different name.
Lava is molten rock that has reached the Earth's surface. The distinction from *magma* is purely one of location: the same material is magma while underground and lava once it emerges. Nothing about it changes but the address. The word came from Italian, where it described the streams that ran down Vesuvius, and derives from Latin *labes*, a fall or sliding down. Neapolitan dialect had used it for a flood of rainwater before it was applied to volcanoes.
- Molten surface rock. *A lava flow.*
- Magma — the same underground. *Magma.*
- Lava lamp. *A lava lamp.*
- Volcanic. *Volcanic rock.*
- Italian — *lava*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | lava | Lava. |
| Compound | lava flow | A lava flow. |
| Related | magma | Magma. |
| Italian | lava | Lava. |
| Latin | labes | A fall. |
- Lava reached the village.Eruption.
- Magma is the same rock.Distinction.
- The word came from Naples.Etymology.
Types of lava flow
- Pahoehoe — smooth and ropy, from Hawaiian
- Aa — rough and jagged, also Hawaiian
- Pillow lava — formed underwater, rounded like cushions
- Both Hawaiian words are now international geological terms
- The difference comes from temperature and gas content
Italian *lava*, originally a stream caused by sudden rain, from Latin *labes*, a fall or subsidence.
What is the difference between lava and magma?
Only location. The same molten rock is magma underground and lava once it reaches the surface.
Where do pahoehoe and aa come from?
Hawaiian. Both are now standard international terms for smooth and rough lava surfaces.