Why is it that lava is so hot, but there's still some black (just
warm) rock in it? Zachary
Zachary
Dear Zachary,
Molten lava is usually orange or red, but you're right, there is also a
lot of dark grey or black lava too. As lava cools it turns from the hot
colors to the dark greys and black. That means that when you see a lava
flow that is part red and part black then you are seeing hot lava and
cooler lava. Lava cools very quickly at first and in order for it to show
a red or orange color you either have to pull off the grey crust yourself
all the time, or go to a place where the lava is flowing so vigorously
that the crust is continually broken up into small pieces.
Scott Rowland, University of Hawaii
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