Contact me to take advantage of a complimentary financial review and see for yourself how Merrill Edge Â® streamlines investing to help you invest for what matters most to you. Resources Let's work together FAQs
When magma reaches the surface of the earth, it is called lava. Since it its a liquid, it flows downhill in response to gravity as a lava flows. Different magma types behave differently as lava flows, depending on their temperature, viscosity, and gas content. Lava flows are produced on the surface, and these run like liquids down slope, along the lowest areas they can find. 2  If the magma emerges along a fracture, it results in a fissure eruption, often called a curtain of fire. 3  Lava flows produced by eruptions under water are called pillow lavas.
A volcanic eruption is the release of molten rock and volcanic gases through Earth 's crust to the surface. Molten rock within the earth, or magma, is driven to erupt by buoyancy because it is lighter than the surrounding rock. Dissolved gases within the magma are under great pressure and force magma upwards.olcanoes are vents or fissures in Earth 's crust through which lava, gases, and pyroclastic debris are released. More commonly, the term volcano refers to the landform built up from the accumulation of lava and/or pyroclastic debris.