| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Magma | Liquid rock that forms under Earth's surface. |
| Volcanism | Any activity that includes the movement of magma onto Earth's surface. |
| Lava | Magma after it has erupted onto Earth's surface, |
| Volcano | A vent or fissure in Earth's surface through which magma and gases are expelled. |
| Fissure | Cracks through which lava flows to Earth's surface, |
| Hot spots | Areas of volcanism within the interiors of lithospheric plates. |
| Mantle plumes | Solid, hot material that flows from deep within Earth's mantle. |
| Intrude | To come into contact with. |
| Igneous rock | Rock that forms when magma cools. |
| Plutons | Large formations of igneous rock. |
| Batholiths | Large plutons that cover an area of at least 100km(squared). |
| Mafic | Describes magma or igneous rock that is rich in magnesium and iron and that is generally dark in color. |
| Felsic | Describes magma or igneous rock that is rich in feldspar and silica and that is generally light in color. |
| Viscosity | Resistance to flow. |
| Pahoehoe | Rope-like dry magma that forms after mafic lava has cooled rapidly. |
| Pyroclastic material | A material that consists of fragments of rock that form during a volcanic eruption. |
| Crater | A funnel-shaped pit at the top of a volcanic vent. |
| Caldera | A basin-shaped depression that forms when the magma chamber below a volcano partially empties and causes the ground above to sink. |
| Vent | An opening. |
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