Real lava and water
Lava that cools slowly grows mineral crystals and becomes rock. Lava that cools too quickly has no time for crystals and freezes as glass. Obsidian, from thick magma that cooled fast, is the classic volcanic glass, and volcanic glass that formed underwater has its own names (tachylite, hyaloclastite).
Source: Sandatlas, Volcanic glass
| Condition | Result |
|---|---|
| Cools slowly | Rock with crystals |
| Cools very fast | Glassy (volcanic glass) |
Places where real lava enters the sea are dangerous because of hot steam, gases and flying fragments. When visiting volcanic areas, follow official guidance and closures.
The game’s lava rules
In the Sandlab 1.0 engine, lava flows as a heavy liquid and reacts with its neighbors like this.
| Meets | Result |
|---|---|
| Water | Lava instantly becomes stone, the water becomes steam |
| Ice, Snow | Melt into water |
| Oil, Wood, Gunpowder, Plant, Coal | Catch fire, by chance |
| Sand | Turns into glass, by chance |
| Empty space above | Small flames occasionally rise |
Since it is the lava that turns to stone, pouring water steadily forms a stone crust on top while the lava underneath keeps flowing.
Build a volcano
Draw a mountain in stone
Draw a triangular mountain in Stone, leaving a channel up the middle and a round magma chamber at the bottom.
Fill with lava, sprinkle water
Fill the channel with Lava and flames flicker from the top. Sprinkle water on the slopes with the Spray tool: stone forms wherever it meets lava, and steam rises.
Add a sand beach
Lay sand next to the mountain and wherever lava spills over, the sand turns to glass, a solid that acid cannot dissolve.
FAQ
Can you make obsidian-like volcanic glass in the game?
Under the 1.0 rules lava and water make stone; glass forms only when sand touches lava.
Does lava cool into stone on its own?
No. In the game lava keeps flowing as lava unless it touches water.
Sandlab - Falling Sand Physics
No sign-up, and the simulation runs fully offline. Your canvases stay on your device. Free on Android.