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Mafic lava, before cooling, has a low viscosity, in comparison to felsic lava, due to the lower silica content in mafic magma. Water and other volatiles can more easily and gradually escape from mafic lava, so eruptions of volcanoes made of mafic lavas are less explosively violent than felsic lava eruptions. Most mafic lava volcanoes are oceanic volcanoes, like Hawaii.
Felsic is a term used in geology to refer to silicate minerals, magmas, and rocks which are enriched in the lighter elements such as silicon, oxygen, aluminium, sodium, and potassium. The term combines the words "feldspar" and "silica." Felsic minerals are usually light in color and have specific gravities less than 3. Common felsic minerals include quartz, muscovite, orthoclase, and the sodium-rich plagioclase feldspars. The most common felsic rock is granite. On the opposite side of the rock spectrum are the iron and magnesium-rich mafic and ultramafic minerals and rocks.
There are a few means by which felsic magma can be generated from mafic magma. Felsic materials have lower melting points than mafic materials and so will tend to melt first during partial melting. This can shift composition to something more felsic. Another process is called fractional crystalization. Here, more mafic material crystallizes and settles out of a magma chamber, making the remaining molten material more felsic. Finally, as mafic magma moves though continental crust, which is generally felsic in composition, it incorporates some of the rock and becomes more felsic.
Mafic lava can become felsic lava through a process called fractional crystallization. As the magma cools, minerals within it crystallize at different temperatures, causing the remaining liquid to become more silica-rich and compositionally evolve to felsic lava. This process occurs deep within the Earth's crust during magma chamber cooling.
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Do cinder cones erupt felsic or mafic lava?
Composite volcanoes can erupt both mafic and felsic material, but intermediate material is the most common.
Is mafic or felsic lava produced in mt fuji?
mafic lava is the KIND of lava produced in mount (mt) Fuji.
Does paricutin mafic or felsic lava?
Paricutin volcano in Mexico predominantly erupted mafic lava, which is rich in magnesium and iron and has a low silica content. This type of lava tends to flow more easily compared to felsic lava.
Which moves fast felsic lava or mafic lava?
A mafic lava flow will move faster than a felsic lava flow due to its lower viscosity. However, felsic magma tends to erupt explosively, producing fast-moving pyroclastic flows instead of lava flows.
Is mauna loa mafic or felsic?
Mauna Loa is considered a mafic volcano. It erupts basaltic lava, which is characteristic of mafic compositions with low silica content and high magnesium and iron content.
Between mafic lava and felsic lava which flowsfaster?
Mafic lava is hotter than felsic lava and therefore flows faster.
Do cinder cones erupt felsic or mafic lava?
Composite volcanoes can erupt both mafic and felsic material, but intermediate material is the most common.
Is mafic or felsic lava produced in mt fuji?
mafic lava is the KIND of lava produced in mount (mt) Fuji.
Does paricutin mafic or felsic lava?
Paricutin volcano in Mexico predominantly erupted mafic lava, which is rich in magnesium and iron and has a low silica content. This type of lava tends to flow more easily compared to felsic lava.
Which moves fast felsic lava or mafic lava?
A mafic lava flow will move faster than a felsic lava flow due to its lower viscosity. However, felsic magma tends to erupt explosively, producing fast-moving pyroclastic flows instead of lava flows.
Is mauna loa mafic or felsic?
Mauna Loa is considered a mafic volcano. It erupts basaltic lava, which is characteristic of mafic compositions with low silica content and high magnesium and iron content.
Does mt etna have mafic or felsic lava?
Oh, dude, Mt. Etna has both mafic and felsic lava. It's like a lava buffet up there! Mafic lava is low in silica and more runny, while felsic lava is high in silica and thicker. So, yeah, Mt. Etna serves up a mix of both, keeping things interesting for all the volcano enthusiasts out there.
Is mauna kea mafic or felsic?
As a shield volcano, Mauna Kea erupts mafic lava.
What kind of lava do Composite volcanoes produce?
it has mafic and felsic duhhhhh
Where does felsic lava form at?
== == Felsic lava has a higher silica content than mafic lava. Felsic lava is slower moving (high viscosity) than the less viscous mafic lava. Mafic lava is higher in dark minerals and higher in the elements iron and magnesium.
Do composite cone volcanoes have mafic lava?
Composite cone volcanoes typically have more intermediate to felsic lava compositions, which are higher in silica content compared to mafic lava. This results in a more viscous lava that typically leads to explosive volcanic eruptions. Mafic lava is usually associated with shield volcanoes, which have gentler slopes and more fluid lava flows.
Which cools faster mafic or felsic rocks?
Mafic rocks cool faster than felsic rocks because they have a higher melting point and therefore solidify more quickly. Felsic rocks, on the other hand, contain more silica and have a lower melting point, resulting in a slower cooling process.
