A’a Lava Slide

A thin section of A’a Lava produced from the famous Laki Eruptions of 1783 – 1785 in Iceland. The thin section exhibits the highly vesicular nature of this extrusive volcanic rock. These sections look very similar to those of the volcanic scoria which we supply. Both formed from basaltic lava ejected from a volcano. The lower pressures allow gases which were once dissolved in the magma to come out of solution. The gases produce holes or vesicles in the molten rock and as the rock cools and solidifies the bubbles become frozen. Typically volcanic scoria is basaltic or andesitic in composition; these magmas are typically less viscous than those which form pumice and as such scoria is denser than pumice with larger vesicles. Our thin sections clearly depict the vesicular nature of this material. Each section is made to 30 microns thickness and the glass is 46 x 27 mm in size with a cover slip. Supplied in a protective card sleeve with a label, ideal for microscopy and educational purposes.