Geological process
The transport of magma to the surface and its eruption as lava, tephra and gas. Volcanoes occur at divergent boundaries, above subduction zones and in plate interiors, and these are not the same process.
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The explosivity of an eruption depends on magma composition: thin, runny magma lets gases escape and flows out of the volcano, while thick, sticky magma traps its gases until pressure forces them out violently, blasting the magma apart into tephra.
Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence one source
Evidence: U.S. Geological Survey n.d. Primary authority
Molten rock beneath the surface is magma; magma that has erupted is lava. The two words name the same material in different places, not different substances.
Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence one source
Evidence: U.S. Geological Survey n.d. Primary authority
Volcanoes form in several distinct settings — at divergent boundaries, above subduction zones, and in plate interiors far from any boundary — and these are not the same process.
Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence one source
Evidence: Kious 1996 Primary authority
Record last updated 2026-09-06. Corrections follow the published corrections policy; superseded claims are retained, never silently edited.