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Rapid quenching of felsic lava freezes silica into a smooth volcanic glass. The figure is taken from USGS, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

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Mondo Knows Facts

Obsidian forms when lava cools too quickly to grow crystals

Rapid quenching of felsic lava freezes silica into a smooth volcanic glass

Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass produced when high-silica lava extrudes from a volcano and cools rapidly with minimal crystal growth. Because there is no internal crystalline lattice, obsidian fractures with characteristic conchoidal curves, creating edges sharper than surgical steel scalpels.

Where this comes from

USGS

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Tags: earth science, obsidian, minerals

Obsidian forms when lava cools too quickly to grow crystals: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Rapid quenching of felsic lava freezes silica into a smooth volcanic glass. The figure is taken from USGS, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a science fact?: Yes. It sits on the Science shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.