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Good question! According to Dana's Manual of Mineral Science (The Bible of minerals, in a way) a mineral must be solid. So, lava, which is not solid, is not a mineral. Once lava hardens into a solid, it becomes a rock made of different types of minerals.

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16y ago

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Related Questions

How can rock minerals form?

Rock minerals form from lava, magma or solutions.


What happened to lava when it cools?

Extrusive igneous rock is formed from the crystallization of minerals as the lava cools.


Is hardened lava a mineral?

Hardened lava is considered igneous rock, composed of minerals.


Minerals in rock near a volcano recrystallize as lava covers the area--the minerals change due to the lava's?

The heat from the lava causes the minerals in the rock to recrystallize, changing their structure and composition. This process, known as metamorphism, can result in the formation of new minerals and textures within the rock. The type and intensity of the metamorphic changes depend on factors such as temperature, pressure, and the chemical composition of the original rock.


What is the substance called that reaches earths surface and is made up of molten rock gases and minerals?

Lava.


How are minerals formed from magma and lava?

Minerals are formed from magma and lava through the process of crystallization. As magma or lava cools, the atoms and ions within the molten rock come together to form solid mineral crystals. The specific minerals that form depend on the composition of the magma or lava and the cooling rate.


How did the lava cool from hot lava to hard rock?

The minerals in magma form crystals when solidifying, giving igneous rocks their characteristic hardness.


What does pumice mean for rocks and minerals?

Pumice is an extrusive igneous rock which forms when the lava is very frothy from a lot of gas exsoliving out of the lava, it is sort of like an extrime vesicular rock.


How do minerals form from magma and lava?

Minerals form from magma and lava through the process of crystallization. As the molten rock cools, atoms within the magma or lava arrange themselves into a crystalline structure to form solid mineral crystals. The specific minerals that form depend on factors such as the composition of the magma or lava and the cooling rate.


What rock is formed when lava cools down?

When lava cools down quickly at the surface of the Earth, it forms an igneous rock called basalt. Basalt is dark in color, fine-grained, and contains minerals such as olivine and pyroxene.


Is basalt a rock or mineral?

Basalt is a type of rock, specifically an extrusive igneous rock that forms from solidified lava flows. It is composed mainly of minerals such as feldspar and pyroxene.


Which igneous rock forms when basaltic lava hardens?

Basalt is the igneous rock that forms when basaltic lava cools and hardens. It is fine-grained and dark in color, typically containing minerals such as pyroxene and plagioclase.