why is lava so hot?

rocky Eric

Hi Eric,

Lava is hot for two reasons: 1. it's hot deep in the Earth (about 100 km down) where rocks melt to make magma, and 2. the solid rock arongs the magma is a good insulator, so the magma doesn't lose much heat on the way to the surface.

Sincerely,
Steve Mattox 

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