SILICA

Silicon dioxide, the most abundant rock-forming compound on Earth and the predominant molecular constituent of volcanic rocks and magmas. It tends to polymerize into molecular chains, increasing the viscosity of the magma. Basaltic magma, having lower SiO2, is fairly fluid, but with increasing contents of SiO2, andesite, dacite, and rhyolite magmas become progressively more viscous. Because it is more difficult for dissolved gas to escape from more viscous magma, higher silica magmas generally erupt more explosively.