What is pillow lava

Pillow lavas also tend to form on slopes, where the lava can flow and stretch out further before solidifying. A higher extrusion rate may also create larger pillows. After a chilled crust is formed, lava is still being pumped into the pillow, causing it to inflate and grow larger like a balloon until the crust breaks out and a new tube is formed. In conclusion, pillows are not only very beautiful and distinctive to look at, but they can tell us something about the environment in which they formed.

However, we can study the many vesicles we have observed in our pillow samples, and we will be doing more of this once we get back to land. Walvis Ridge MV Expedition.

Weekly Report 2 -- Friday, 9 March Reports 7. Pillow Lavas A distinctive lava flow morphology that has been appearing in our dredges is pillow lava. Susan Schnur. Pinti, Michel Viso. Contents Search. Pillow Lava. Authors Authors and affiliations Nicholas Arndt. How to cite. Definition Pillow lava is a form of volcanic rock that results when low-viscosity magma such as basalt erupts under water. Read more to find out how pillow lavas are formed.

Pillow lavas are formed when hot, flowing and still molten volcanic lava erupts onto the seafloor. Here it is rapidly chilled and forms a glassy skin with still molten lava inside.