Molten Lava

Nessie3 · **Posted:** Sun May 28, 2006 10:41 am

The Independent (UK), online:

Thousands flee as molten lava begins to flow from Java volcano
By Kathy Marks, Asia-Pacific Correspondent

As opposed to the other kind?

paulwiggins · **Posted:** Sun Jun 04, 2006 4:35 am

Thank you kindly. That reminded me to tidy up a reference to hot lava.

lfelaco · **Posted:** Fri Jun 16, 2006 10:21 am

Um... the phrase "molten lava" is not redundant. Lava refers to the substance both when it's flowing and after it's cooled and hardened.

SusanV · **Posted:** Fri Jun 16, 2006 10:44 am

lfelaco wrote:

Um... the phrase "molten lava" is not redundant. Lava refers to the substance both when it's flowing and after it's cooled and hardened.

Yes, but if it is flowing, then obviously it's molten.

Nessie3 · **Posted:** Fri Jun 16, 2006 10:44 am

lfelaco wrote:

Um... the phrase "molten lava" is not redundant.

It is when the lava is described as flowing.

lfelaco · **Posted:** Fri Jun 16, 2006 11:12 am

Without getting into all the geophysics of it, there are lavas that continue to flow even when they're no longer molten, and the term "lava flow" actually refers to the hardened formation (as opposed to an "active lava flow"). So I still say it's not redundant.

paulwiggins · **Posted:** Sun Jun 18, 2006 2:04 am

A valid point, as I should have known. Was still worth a change on mine because the pic told the story.

Nessie3 · **Posted:** Mon Jun 19, 2006 4:55 am

lfelaco wrote:

Without getting into all the geophysics of it, there are lavas that continue to flow even when they're no longer molten, and the term "lava flow" actually refers to the hardened formation (as opposed to an "active lava flow"). So I still say it's not redundant.

Does this mean you would flee from hardened lava? Glass continues to flow after it cools. It's flowing in my office window as I type. And yet, I feel no need to flee.

In the case of the headline I cited, the molten is superfluous.

lfelaco · **Posted:** Tue Jun 20, 2006 10:54 am

I would flee from lava, regardless of temperature, because I wouldn't want it getting on me and ruining my clothes. But I was speaking more about the phrase "molten lava" in general and not the headline cited, which probably is redundant, esp. if accompanied by a photo.

Docsdoctor · **Posted:** Tue Jun 20, 2006 3:02 pm

Nessie3 wrote:

Glass continues to flow after it cools. It's flowing in my office window as I type. And yet, I feel no need to flee.

Myth.

Nessie3 · **Posted:** Tue Jun 20, 2006 8:04 pm

Docsdoctor wrote:

Nessie3 wrote:

Glass continues to flow after it cools. It's flowing in my office window as I type. And yet, I feel no need to flee.

Myth.

Thanks. You're right. Glass may or may not be a liquid, depending on semantics, but it doesn't flow.

Is glass liquid or solid?

There is no clear answer to the question "Is glass solid or liquid?". In terms of molecular dynamics and thermodynamics it is possible to justify various different views that it is a highly viscous liquid, an amorphous solid, or simply that glass is another state of matter which is neither liquid nor solid. The difference is semantic. In terms of its material properties we can do little better. There is no clear definition of the distinction between solids and highly viscous liquids. All such phases or states of matter are idealisations of real material properties. Nevertheless, from a more common sense point of view, glass should be considered a solid since it is rigid according to every day experience. The use of the term "supercooled liquid" to describe glass still persists, but is considered by many to be an unfortunate misnomer that should be avoided. In any case, claims that glass panes in old windows have deformed due to glass flow have never been substantiated. Examples of Roman glassware and calculations based on measurements of glass visco-properties indicate that these claims cannot be true. The observed features are more easily explained as a result of the imperfect methods used to make glass window panes before the float glass process was invented.

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