Science - Lava Flows

When magma from inside the Earth is expelled from volcanoes it's a liquid, so it flows quite a distance before it cools and hardens. There are three basic types of lava.

Pahoehoe lava (above) is hotter and more fluid than the other types of lava, Aʻā and Pillow Lava. Pahoehoe lava is is typically 1100 to 1200 °C. Pahoehoe lava flows are shinny and wrinkled.

Aʻā lava (below) is liquid lava surround by a layer of hard rock chunks called clinker. Aʻā lava is cooler at 1000 to 1100 °C, and moves slower than pahoehoe lava.


The lava flows shown are in Hawaii; The volcanoes in Hawaii are called shield volcanoes because the swirling lava resemble ancient battle shields.

Pillow lava is lava that emerges underwater or under glaciers. It is named after its pillow or bubble like form. Since water covers the majority of Earth's surface and most volcanoes are situated near or under bodies of water, pillow lava is very common.

Sources: National Geographic
Wikipedia