Hot, molten rock that erupts from a volcano and flows down the mountainside, eventually cooling and solidifying into rock.
From Italian 'lava,' which comes from Latin 'labes' meaning 'fall' or 'ruin.' The word entered English in the 18th century when volcanic observations became more scientifically documented.
Lava can reach temperatures over 1,200°C, hot enough to flow like water, and some of the oldest rocks on Earth are made of ancient lava flows that cooled billions of years ago—it's literally planetary recycling!
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