Yes, there are different types of lava. The types depend on both the
chemical composition of the lava itself, as well as the rate at which it
is erupted and flowing over the ground. The two most common types of
basaltic lava are pahoehoe and 'a'a. These are Hawaiian words that have
been accpted as geological terms by most geologists. There are photos of
these lava types in various places within VolcanoWorld, but briefly,
pahoehoe is a smooth glassy type of basalt lava, associated with low
effusion rates, and 'a'a is a rough spiny clinkery type of lava associated
with high effusion rates.
When you start looking at other compositions of lava such as andesites,
dacites, and rhyolites, you get lava flow types usually called "block"
lava. These are big thick lava flows covered with angular blocks a few
meters across. Also, lava domes, of which there are many photos in
VolcanoWorld, are the lava flow equivalent for the most viscous types of
lava (such as dacite and rhyolite).
Scott Rowland, University of Hawaii
Ben Ainsworth
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