Lava field lavas of at least . The lavas are thought to have originated from a mantle plume center called the Mackenzie hotspot. Lava field A lava field, also called a lava plain or lava bed, is a large expanse of nearly flat-lying lava flows. Such features are generally composed of highly fluid basalt lava, and can extend for tens or even hundreds of miles across the underlying terrain. The extent of large lava fields is most readily grasped from the air or in satellite photos, where their typically dark, nearly black color contrasts sharply with the rest of the landscape. According
Lava buried by the advancing flow. This produces a layer of lava fragments both at the bottom and top of an aā flow. Accretionary lava balls as large as are common on aā flows. Aā is usually of higher viscosity than pāhoehoe. Pāhoehoe can turn into aā if it becomes turbulent from meeting impediments or steep slopes. The sharp, angled texture makes aā a strong radar reflector, and can easily be seen from an orbiting satellite (bright on Magellan pictures). Aā lavas typically erupt at temperatures of . The word is also spelled "aa", "aa", "aa", and "a-aa", and pronounced .