What is the Difference Between Lava and Magma?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The main difference between lava and magma is their location and cooling process. Here are the key distinctions:
- Magma: This refers to molten rock that is still trapped underground, stored in the Earth's crust. Magma is composed of molten rock and can vary in its chemical composition, which gives it different properties.
- Lava: Lava is molten rock that has erupted and reached the Earth's surface through a volcano vent. Once magma reaches the surface and cools off on the Earth's surface, it becomes lava. Lava is exposed to air, unlike magma.
In summary, magma and lava are essentially the same substance, but their distinguishing factor lies in their location and whether they have cooled on the Earth's surface or are still underground.
Comparative Table: Lava vs Magma
Here is a table summarizing the differences between lava and magma:
Feature | Magma | Lava |
---|---|---|
Definition | Molten rock composed of molten or semi-molten rock, volatiles (such as water vapor and carbon dioxide), and sometimes crystals; found beneath the Earth's surface | Molten rock that reaches the Earth's surface through a volcanic vent or fissure |
Location | Occurs beneath the Earth's surface, in the mantle, and in chambers beneath volcanoes | Occurs on the Earth's surface after erupting from a volcano |
Temperature | Ranges from 1300 to 2400 degrees Fahrenheit | Ranges from 1300 to 2200 degrees Fahrenheit |
Composition | Combination of molten or semi-molten rock and volatiles | Composed of molten rock that has been expelled from the Earth's surface |
Role in Earth's Geology | Solidifies into intrusive or plutonic rocks like granite when it cools underground | Solidifies into extrusive or volcanic rocks like basalt when it cools on the surface |
Both magma and lava are terms used in volcanology and are related to the molten rock that emerges from below the Earth's surface. However, magma refers to the molten rock beneath the Earth's surface, while lava is the molten rock that reaches the surface through a volcanic vent or fissure.
Read more:
- Molten vs Liquid
- Volcanoes vs Earthquakes
- Igneous Rocks vs Metamorphic Rocks
- Molten vs Aqueous
- Basalt vs Granite
- Mafic vs Felsic
- Caldera vs Crater
- Lithosphere vs Asthenosphere
- Limestone vs Dolomite
- Liquid vs Gas
- Fire vs Flame
- Gypsum vs Limestone
- Intrusive vs Extrusive Rocks
- Igneous Rocks vs Sedimentary Rocks
- Fusion vs Solidification
- Lithosphere vs Crust
- Lagoon vs Lake
- Metamorphic Rocks vs Sedimentary Rocks
- Hydrosphere vs Lithosphere