LAVA

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(from Vesuvius)
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red lava (from Vesuvius)
you can clearly see the quartz crystals

Cooled magma from a volcanic eruption. This lava was collected from the crater of Vesuvius - and the hub nearly fell in!!

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Your intrepid geologist/explorer/tourist complete with obligatory baggy, khaki "shorts"!

All sorts of questions about lava.

Wonderful lava, from recent times, from Iceland

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The bottom specimen is of pahoehoe or ropy lava, which has a smooth but twisted surface. It is formed by fast flowing fluid lava, which develops a plastic skin on its surface, by cooling. The skin is dragged into picturesque folds by the still liquid lava running beneath it.