Magma Types Rhyolitic - highly viscous lava that can just barely flow. Such lavas usually produce a volcanic dome that eventually is destroyed in a massive explosion as the viscous lava tries to escape Andesitic - lava flows more readily than rhyolitic lava, but not as easily as basaltic lava. Eruptions are characterized by a mixture of explosive activity and lava flows. Such eruptions form composite volcanoes Basaltic - high temperature and low silica content allow basaltic lavas to flow readily and travel far. The Hawaiian Islands were built up from the seafloor from successive basaltic lava flows, forming large shield volcanoes