What Is Magma?
Hawaiian volcanoes have done a good job of confirming that what lies beneath the surface does not always stay there. Magma is molten and liquid rock that is found under Earths surface. When a volcano erupts, it spews magma that then cools and solidifies into lava.
It is made up of a number of minerals, dissolved gases, rock fragments, and suspended crystals. Its temperature can vary from anywhere between 600C and 1600C. Magma forms in the layer between Earths crust and outer core called the mantle. This is where the level of pressure and high temperatures are sufficient to melt rock and keep magma in a fluid state.
