Lava

Lava
Renewable	Yes
Transparent	Yes
Luminance	Yes (15)
Blast resistance	100
Tool
Creates sources?	No
Flow distance	4 blocks (Overworld, End); 8 blocks (Nether)
Flow speed	30 ticks/block (Overworld, End); 10 ticks/block (Nether)

Lava is a light-emitting fluid that causes fire damage, mostly found in the lower reaches of the Overworld and the Nether.

Obtaining

Lava can be collected by using a bucket on a lava source block or a full lava cauldron, creating a lava bucket. Lava may be obtained renewably from cauldrons, as pointed dripstone with a lava source above it can slowly fill a cauldron with lava (if in the Nether, the source of lava isn't necessary).

In Java Edition, lava does not have a direct item form, but in Bedrock Edition it may be obtained as an item via inventory editing or add-ons.

Natural generation

During world generation, lava replaces air blocks generated in caves and canyons between Y=-55 and Y=-63. Aquifers are sometimes filled with lava below Y=0. Lava does not replace air blocks inside mineshafts, monster rooms, amethyst geodes, or strongholds.

Lava can also occur as lava flows from a single spring block, pouring down walls into pools. The spring block can be on the side of a cave, ravine, mineshaft, or stone cliff above ground.

Lava also generates as small lava lakes, which can be found above Y=0 within any biome.

Two blocks of lava can also be found in plains, snowy plains, and desert village weaponsmith buildings, or one source in savanna village weaponsmith buildings.

Fifteen blocks of lava can be found in the End portal room of a stronghold: 3 along each side wall, and 9 below the portal frame.

Lava also generates in woodland mansions: two blocks of lava generate in the "forge room", and 25 blocks of lava generate in a secret "lava room".

In the Nether, lava is more common than water is in the Overworld. Seas of lava occur, with sea level at y-level 32, about a quarter of the total height of the Nether (as the usable space in the Nether is 128 blocks tall). They can extend down to about y-level 19-22. Lava also randomly appears in single blocks inside netherrack formations. Lava is also generated as a single source in well rooms in Nether fortresses. There are also large pockets of lava generated under y=19 and can reach all the way down to bedrock level. These pockets are generally over 12 blocks in height and often connect to a large lava lake on y=32; the size of these pockets in 1.18 can range from the size of a singular pre-1.18 ravine to multiple ravines combined.

Lava generates as delta shapes, which can be found commonly in the basalt deltas biome. Lava also generates in ruined portals and bastion remnants.

Post-generation

Unlike water source blocks, new lava source blocks cannot be created in a space by two or more adjacent source blocks. However in Java Edition, if the game rule lavaSourceConversion is set to true, new lava source blocks can form in a similar way to water source blocks.

Usage

Fuel

When used in a furnace, a bucket of lava lasts 1000 seconds (100 items), the longest lasting of any fuel in the game. However, this is somewhat mitigated by the fact that lava buckets cannot be stacked.

Burning

What it looks like inside lava using Fire Resistance in *Java Edition*.

Most entities take 4HP damage every tick (although damage immunity reduces this to once every half-second) while in contact with lava, and are set on fire. An entity or player in lava also has its remainingFireTicks set to 300, setting it on fire for 15 seconds. This timer is reset to 300 every tick that the victim spends in lava, so it starts counting down once the victim leaves the lava. Once the victim does exit the lava source, it burns for just under 15 seconds, taking fire damage 14 times. This is due to the fact that for the first tick outside of lava, its remainingFireTicks decreases to 299, and entities take fire damage when remainingFireTicks is a multiple of 20 and greater than 0. If the victim touches water or rain falls on it, the fire is extinguished, but the lava continues to damage them directly.

In addition, a dense fog effect is applied for players under lava to obscure vision. This can be slightly mitigated via the Fire Resistance effect. In Spectator mode, the fog effect is removed and players can see through lava.

An entity or player moving in lava has its horizontal movement speed reduced by 50% and its vertical movement speed reduced by 20%. A player cannot sprint-swim in lava.

In Bedrock Edition, a player with the Fire Resistance effect or a total Fire Protection of 7 or higher does not catch fire.

Most of the Nether mobs (blazes, ghasts, magma cubes, striders, wither skeletons, zoglins, and zombified piglins), agents, NPCs, vexes, ender dragons, shulkers, wardens, withers, and players or mobs affected by the Fire Resistance effect are not damaged when touching lava.

The embers or fireballs that fly out of lava are purely decorative and do not cause fires or damage to entities. When rain falls on lava, the black ember particles appear more frequently.

A player in lava lasts a few seconds before dying:

Java Edition

2.5 seconds with no armor
3.5 seconds with full leather armor, no enchantments
4 seconds with full gold armor, no enchantments
4.5 seconds with full chainmail armor, no enchantments
5.5 seconds with full iron armor, no enchantments
10.5 seconds with full diamond armor, no enchantments
11 seconds with full netherite armor, no enchantments

Bedrock Edition

2.5 seconds with no armor
3.5 seconds with full leather armor, no enchantments
4.5 seconds with full gold armor, no enchantments
5 seconds with full chainmail armor, no enchantments
6.5 seconds with full iron armor, no enchantments
12.5 seconds with full diamond armor, no enchantments
12.5 seconds with full netherite armor, no enchantments

A player who is wearing armor enchanted with Fire Protection can survive even longer. With the maximum bonus, the damage is small enough that the natural healing from a full hunger bar can outpace it,‌ so a player who has food and armor that resists damage (non-netherite armor is damaged by lava) could survive indefinitely. This damage-resisting condition can be attained by wearing two pieces of armor with Fire Protection IV and one with Protection IV, or one piece of armor with Fire Protection IV and three with Protection IV.

Fire spread

Lava can cause fires by turning air blocks to fire blocks.

In order for air above lava to turn to fire, a block adjacent to the air has to be flammable, or one of the wood-constructed non-flammable blocks. Since catching fire depends on air blocks, even torches or lava itself can prevent a flammable block from catching fire. Additionally, not all flammable or wood-constructed blocks can be ignited by lava.

The lava of any depth can start fires this way, whether or not it appears to have a current.

Additional conditions must be met, depending on the edition of Minecraft.

Java Edition

Example for JE. The orange area represents areas where air could catch flame if the gray and orange areas contain flammable blocks. The wood is all at a safe distance.

Air block must be in a 3×1×3 area right above the lava or in a 5×1×5 2 blocks above the lava.

An air block in the 5×1×5 area does not catch on fire if the 3×1×3 area is completely filled, even if the latter is filled with flammable blocks.

Bedrock Edition

The block to be set on fire must be in a 3×3×3 cube centered on a lava block, above which there must be either air or an ignitable block.

Flow

Lava flows from "source blocks". Most streams or "lava-falls" come from a single source block, but lava lakes (including the "flood lava" in the bottom 10 layers) are composed entirely of source blocks. A source block can be captured only with a bucket.

In the Overworld and the End, lava travels 3 blocks in any horizontal direction from a source block. Lava flows far more slowly than water (1 block every 30 game ticks, or 1.5 seconds), and sourceless lava flows linger for a short time more. In the Nether, lava travels 7 blocks horizontally and spreads 1 block every 10 game ticks, or 2 blocks per second, which is half the speed of water in the Overworld. In all dimensions, lava spreading uses the same mechanic as water: For every adjacent block it can flow into it tries to find a way down that is reachable in four or fewer blocks from the block it wants to flow to. When found, the flow weight for that direction is set to the shortest path distance to the way down. (This can result in lava flows turning toward dropoffs that they cannot reach in the Overworld and the End.)

Flowing lava destroys certain non-solid blocks similarly to water. However, those blocks do not drop their loot when destroyed by lava. Sugar canes hold back lava, but disappear if the sugar cane's water source is destroyed by the lava.

A one-block lava flow can be redirected by receiving block updates, which causes it to reset the flow toward the now-nearest terrain depression, but does not cut off its current direction of flow. The change cannot be reversed.

In Bedrock Edition the /setblock command can be used to create stationary lava without the use of barriers.

Flowing lava can push entities, including those that do not take lava damage.

Flow arrangement tables

Overworld and the End


3	2	1	2	3
		4
	4	3	4
4	3	2	3	4
4	3	2	3	4
	4	3	4
		4


Range		Height in blocks
1	block	1
2	blocks	0.75-1
3	blocks	0.5-0.75
4	blocks	0.25-0.5

The Nether


7	6	5	4	3	2	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
						8
					8	7	8
				8	7	6	7	8
			8	7	6	5	6	7	8
		8	7	6	5	4	5	6	7	8
	8	7	6	5	4	3	4	5	6	7	8
8	7	6	5	4	3	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
8	7	6	5	4	3	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
	8	7	6	5	4	3	4	5	6	7	8
		8	7	6	5	4	5	6	7	8
			8	7	6	5	6	7	8
				8	7	6	7	8
					8	7	8
						8

Range		Height in blocks
1	block	1
2	blocks	0.75-1
3	blocks	0.625-0.75
4	blocks	0.5-0.625
5	blocks	0.375-0.5
6	blocks	0.25-0.375
7	blocks	0.125-0.25

Lava and water

Water and lava can produce stone, cobblestone, or obsidian based on how they interact. Lava can also generate basalt when above soul soil and touching blue ice.

Light source

Lava blocks emit a light level of 15.

Other

If there is lava flowing above a block, the lava seeps through.

Lava above a non-transparent block (does not include stairs, fences, and slabs) produces dripping particles on the underside of that block. These droplets do not do anything other than warn the player that a deluge of lava lies above that block. The particles function identically to their water counterparts, except that they drip slower.

Flowing lava can set off tripwires because it breaks placed string. Lava triggers a tripwire only once.

Any item dropped into lava is immediately destroyed, except for netherite-related items.

Lava can be placed in an empty cauldron.

If lava is above a non-transparent block supporting pointed dripstone, dripping particles are created on the end. These can fill cauldrons with lava.

Farming

Lava farms can be created by placing a lava source block on top of a solid block and placing a pointed dripstone and a cauldron underneath it.

Sounds

Java Edition

Sounds
Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	Lava pops	Blocks	Randomly	`block.lava.ambient`	`subtitles.block.lava.ambient`	0.2-0.4	0.9-1.05	16
	Lava hisses	Blocks	When lava mixes with water, making a block	`block.lava.extinguish`	`subtitles.block.lava.extinguish`	0.5	1.8-3.4	16
	Lava pops	Blocks	When a lava bubble particle spawns	`block.lava.pop`	`subtitles.block.lava.ambient`	0.2-0.4	0.9-1.05	16
	Bucket empties	Blocks	When lava is placed with a bucket	`item.bucket.empty_lava`	`subtitles.item.bucket.empty`	1.0	1.0	16
	Bucket fills	Players	When lava is collected with a bucket	`item.bucket.fill_lava`	`subtitles.item.bucket.fill`	1.0	1.0	16
	Fire extinguishes	Blocks	When something freezing is dunked into lava	`entity.generic.extinguish_fire`	`subtitles.entity.generic.extinguish_fire`	0.7	1.2-2.0	16

Bedrock Edition:

Sounds
Sound	Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
	Blocks	Randomly	`liquid.lava`	0.4-0.6	0.9-1.05
	Blocks	When lava mixes with water, making a block	`random.fizz`	0.5	1.8-2.4
	Blocks	When a lava bubble particle spawns	`liquid.lavapop`	0.4-0.6	0.9-1.05
	Blocks	When lava is placed with a bucket	`bucket.empty_lava`	1.0	1.0
	Blocks	When lava is collected with a bucket	`bucket.fill_lava`	1.0	1.0
	Blocks	When something freezing is dunked into lava	`random.fizz`	?	?

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Block tags	Translation key
Lava	`lava`	Block	`strider_warm_blocks`	`block.minecraft.lava`

Fluid	Identifier	Fluid tags
Lava	`lava`	`lava`
Flowing Lava	`flowing_lava`	`lava`

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID	Form	Item ID^{[i 1]}	Translation key
Flowing Lava	`flowing_lava`	`10`	Block & Ungiveable Item^{[i 2]}	Identical^{[i 3]}	`tile.flowing_lava.name`
Lava	`lava`	`11`	Block & Ungiveable Item^{[i 2]}	Identical^{[i 3]}	`tile.lava.name`

↑ ID of block's direct item form, which is used in savegame files and addons.
↑ ^a ^b Unavailable with /give command
↑ ^a ^b The block's direct item form has the same ID as the block.

Lava spends most of its time as stationary, rather than 'flowing' – regardless of its level, or whether it contains a current downward or to the side. When specifically triggered by a block update, lava changes to 'flowing', update its level, then change back to stationary. Lava springs are generated as flowing, and lava lakes are generated as stationary.

Block states

Java Edition:

Name	Default value	Allowed values	Description
level	`0`	`0` `1` `2` `3` `4` `5` `6` `7` `8` `9` `10` `11` `12` `13` `14` `15`	If bit 0x8 is set, this fluid is "falling" and spreads only downward. At this level, the lower bits are essentially ignored, since this block is then at its highest fluid level. This level is equal to the falling lava above, equal to 8 plus the level of the non-falling lava above it. The lower three bits are the fluid block's level. 0 is the highest fluid level (not necessarily filling the block - this depends on the neighboring fluid blocks above each upper corner of the block). Data values increase as the fluid level of the block drops: 1 is the next highest, 2 lower, on through 7, the lowest fluid level. Along a line on a flat plane, lava drops one level per meter in the Nether and two everywhere else. So in the End and Overworld, only 2, 4 and 6 are used.

Bedrock Edition:
Lava and flowing lava

Name	Metadata Bits	Default value	Allowed values	Values for Metadata Bits	Description
liquid_depth	`0x1` `0x2` `0x4` `0x8`	`0`	`0` `1` `2` `3` `4` `5` `6` `7` `8` `9` `10` `11` `12` `13` `14` `15`	`0` `1` `2` `3` `4` `5` `6` `7` `8` `9` `10` `11` `12` `13` `14` `15`	If bit 0x8 is set, this fluid is "falling" and spreads only downward. At this level, the lower bits are essentially ignored, since this block is then at its highest fluid level. This level is equal to the falling lava above, equal to 8 plus the level of the non-falling lava above it. The lower three bits are the fluid block's level. 0 is the highest fluid level (not necessarily filling the block - this depends on the neighboring fluid blocks above each upper corner of the block). Data values increase as the fluid level of the block drops: 1 is the next highest, 2 lower, on through 7, the lowest fluid level. Along a line on a flat plane, lava drops one level per meter in the Nether and two everywhere else. So in the End and Overworld, only 2, 4 and 6 are used.

Fluid states

Java Edition:
Lava

Name	Default value	Allowed values	Description
falling	`false`	`true` `false`	Always false.

Flowing lava

Name	Default value	Allowed values	Description
falling	`false`	`false` `true`	True for falling lava, false for lava with a block below.
level	`1`	`1` `2` `3` `4` `5` `6` `7` `8`	Height of the lava, 8 when the lava is falling.

Achievements


Icon		Achievement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)	Gamerscore earned	Trophy type (PS)
PS4	Other	Achievement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)	Gamerscore earned	Trophy type (PS)
		Feels Like Home	Take a Strider for a loooong [sic] ride on a lava lake in the Overworld.	In the Overworld, use a strider to ride on a lava lake for a distance of 50 meters from the point where the ride starts.	20	Silver
		Stayin' Frosty	Swim in lava while having the Fire Resistance effect.	—	20	Bronze
		Super Fuel	Power a Furnace with Lava	Smelt an item using a lava bucket on a furnace, blast furnace or smoker and pick up the resulting item from the output slot.	20	Bronze

Advancements

Icon	Advancement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)
	Feels Like Home	Take a Strider for a loooong ride on a lava lake in the Overworld	While riding a strider, travel 50 blocks on lava in the Overworld. Only horizontal displacement is counted. Traveling in a circle for more than 50 blocks doesn't count.
	Hot Stuff	Fill a Bucket with lava	Have a lava bucket in the inventory.

Video

History

This section would benefit from the addition of isometric renders.

Please remove this notice once you've added suitable isometric renders to the article.
The specific instructions are: PE unshaded lava with the old texture, used from 0.12.1 build 6 through 0.14.2

Java Edition Classic
0.0.12a			May 19, 2009				Lava is shown.
			release				Added lava.
							The texture is transparent.
							Lava spreads by duplicating itself to open horizontal and downward squares.
							Lava is slower than water and can be easily outrun.
							Model has z-fighting with blocks below lava.
May 20, 2009							Notch mentions lava damage.
0.0.13a							The texture has changed to be opaque.
0.0.13a_03							Lava lakes no longer generate.
0.0.15a							The model is no longer shaded.
0.0.19a							Added a procedural animated texture to lava. Old texture is still retained for use as a placeholder.
							Upscaled model 2% to fix z-fighting with blocks below lava. It's created lava or water models overlapping and z-fighting with each other.
							Added lava layer to the bottom of the map.
0.0.20a_02							Changed model scale back to normal with 1% offset on all coordinates.
0.0.22a							Lava's generated texture has changed - it now appears brighter overall.
August 25, 2009							Lava has been shown to deal damage.
0.24_SURVIVAL_TEST							Lava now deals damage.
0.27 SURVIVAL TEST							UV mapping on side faces now has 11% v offset up.
0.28							Fixed UV mapping.
Java Edition Indev
0.31			20091223-1457				Lava is now luminous.
			20100110				Lava now sets fire to flammable materials.
			20100122-2251				Added lava spawners that spawn lava on sides and bottom.
							It appears in the player's inventory in a stack of 5.
							Lava now flows, but more slowly than water.^[1]
							Dropped items now burn in lava.
							Shot arrows catch fire and not burn in lava.
			20100124-2119				Lava spawner can no longer be found in the player's inventory. Instead, a full stack (99) can be found inside the Indev house chests.
			20100124-2310				Lava now has particle effects.
			20100130				Re-added the infinite lava sea to the bottom of the map.
20100218-0011							Due to a bug, lava now only deals 1HP to players who are touching it. Note this does only affect players.
20100219							The model is shaded again.
Java Edition Infdev
20100227-1414							Lava no longer flows due to changes in chunk handling for infinite worlds.
20100607							UV mapping now has 1% uv offset on top and bottom faces and 1% u, 11% v offset on side faces.
20100608							Fixed UV mapping, once again.
20100615							The model has been changed.
							Added flowing lava.
							Lava now creates flowing lava for a total distance of 7 blocks "away" from the source block.
							Flowing lava flows in a single line toward the nearest terrain depression within four blocks.
							Buckets are added; you can now pick up lava.
20100616-1808							Added flowing lava texture for sides and vertex offset.
							Lava and flowing lava now have visual connection to blocks.
							A large lava flow is now visible in the dark from a long distance.
							Lava now replaces air below Y=12.
20100617-1531							Removed vertex offset.
							Lava now flows 3 blocks horizontally instead of 7.
							Lava and flowing lava touching water, flowing water, water spawner, or lava spawner now replaces with obsidian.
							Removed the infinite lava sea at the bottom of the map.
Java Edition Alpha
v1.0.2_02							Flowing of lava has been tweaked.
v1.0.4							Added ice and snow, which lava can melt.
v1.0.15							Lava now sets nearby blocks on fire.
v1.2.0			preview				Added the Nether, which contains lava.
v1.2.0			?				Lava now deals 4HP damage instead of 10HP damage to entities that are in contact with it. This does not affects players, which do receive 1HP damage due to a bug present since Indev.
v1.2.2							Fixed the bug above.
v1.2.2							Lava now flows further in the Nether.
v1.2.6							Added lava lakes, which can generate at any altitude.
Java Edition Beta
1.8			Pre-release				Changed lighting.
							When lava is touched by rain, it emits smoke particles.
							Lava now generates in the blacksmiths of the newly added villages.
Java Edition
1.0.0			Beta 1.9 Prerelease				Added lava dripping.
							Lava blocks now form stone when falling directly onto water source blocks.
							Lava now generates in Nether fortresses.
			Beta 1.9 Prerelease 2				Entities are now set on fire for 15 seconds (300 ticks) instead of 30 seconds (600 ticks) after being directly hurt by lava.
			Beta 1.9 Prerelease 3				Lava now generates in the newly added End portal rooms of strongholds.
			Beta 1.9 Prerelease 5				Only in this version (before 22w44a), it is possible to create an infinite lava source using a plus-sign shaped arrangement of blocks with four lava source blocks flowing into a central empty block.
			RC1				Faces on model now 0.1% moved to center to fix z-fighting on inner faces.
1.2.1			12w05a				Lava (as well as the embers that pop out of it) now makes sounds. These sounds were in the game files for a long time, but they had not played in-game.
1.3.1			12w21a				Lava can now be collected and dispensed by dispensers containing buckets.
1.3.1			12w30a				Lava now replaces air below Y=11.
1.4.2			12w38a				Flowing lava now has a constant sound.
1.5			13w02a				The model of lava now uses animated texture files.
							There is now "hidden lava" in the Nether.
							Lava now flows much more quickly in the Nether.
1.6.1			13w18a				Lava no longer lingers after the source is removed.
1.7.2			13w37a				Flowing lava, which previously could be destroyed by a few blocks of TNT, can no longer be destroyed by explosions.
1.10			16w21a				Lava is now colored red ( #ff0000) except for the bottom face.^[2]
			16w21b				Lava is no longer colored.
			16w21b				Added 2 splashes referencing colored lava: "Rule #1: it's never my fault", "Replaced molten cheese with blood?".
1.11			16w39a				Lava can now generate in woodland mansions.
1.13			18w10c				The model of lava has been changed.
			18w15a				Lava is now biome colored except for the bottom face. This is linked to new biome coloring for water.^[3]
			18w16a				Lava is no longer biome colored.
1.16			20w09a				Lava now pushes entities.
			20w13a				Added striders, which can be saddled and ridden across lava.
			20w13a				When lava flows over soul soil next to blue ice, it now turns into basalt.
			20w16a				Lava now generates as part of bastion remnants and ruined portals.
			Pre-release 3				Visibility under lava is now slightly better when under the effect of Fire Resistance.
1.17			20w45a				Cauldrons can now be filled with lava.
			20w48a				Added a renewable way of obtaining lava through cauldrons and pointed dripstone.
			21w06a				Lava no longer replaces air below Y=11.
			21w08a				Lava now replaces air below Y=-53.
			21w08a				Lava springs are able to generate below Y=0.
			21w10a				Lava now replaces air below Y=-55.
			21w11a				Lava again replaces air below Y=-53.
			21w11a				Spectator mode players can now see through lava.^[4]
			21w13a				Lava is now fully renewable, as pointed dripstone can be obtained in Survival without custom generation.
			21w15a				The changes to lava generation in 21w06a and 21w08a have been reverted.
1.18			Experimental Snapshot 1				The changes to lava generation in the 1.17 snapshots have been reintroduced.
			Experimental Snapshot 1				Aquifers below Y=0 sometimes generate with lava instead of water.
			?				Lava now replaces air below Y=-54.
1.19.3			22w44a				Added game rule `lavaSourceConversion`, which allows the formation of new lava source blocks when set to `true`.
Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.1.0							Added lava. It uses the internal placeholder texture, even on higher end devices where water is animated.
v0.3.3							Lava no longer creates fire, due to a game breaking spreading bug.
v0.7.0							Lava now lights flammable blocks around it on fire.
v0.7.0							Lava now uses a procedurally animated texture.
v0.8.0			build 5				Lava flowing directly into water now actually spreads out over it.
v0.9.0			build 1				Underground ponds of lava can now be found, making lava much more easy to obtain.
							Lava dripping particles have been added.
							Lava now generates in village blacksmiths and stronghold End portal rooms.
v0.12.1			build 1				Players are now able to swim in lava.
			build 1				Lava now generates in the Nether.
			build 6				Lava is no longer shaded on the sides and bottom.
			build 8				Lava now cancels all fall damage.
v0.14.2							Lava now uses a pre-made animation instead of being procedurally generated. The new texture is distinct from both the old version and the version used in Java Edition 1.5 onward.
Pocket Edition
1.1.0			alpha 1.1.0.0				Lava now generates in woodland mansions.
Bedrock Edition
1.9.0			beta 1.9.0.2				Cauldrons can now be filled with lava.
1.11.0			beta 1.11.0.5				The texture for lava has been changed to match Java Edition.
1.16.0			beta 1.16.0.51				Lava can now push entities.
			beta 1.16.0.51				Visibility under lava is now slightly better when under the effect of Fire Resistance.
			beta 1.16.0.57				Lava now generates as a delta that can be found in basalt deltas.
							Lava now generates as part of bastion remnants and ruined portals.
							When lava flows over soul soil next to blue ice, it now turns into basalt.
			beta 1.16.0.59				Lava can no longer push entities.
1.17.30			beta 1.17.20.22				Lava can now push entities, once again.^[5]
Legacy Console Edition
Xbox 360	Xbox One	PS3	PS4	PS Vita	Wii U	Switch
TU1	CU1	1.00	1.00	1.00	Patch 1	1.0.1	Added lava.
TU2							Added a warning message when attempting to place near the spawn area.
TU12							Lava (as well as the embers that pop out of it) now makes sounds.
TU12							The texture for lava has been changed.
TU25	CU14	1.17	1.17	1.17			Lava can be used in custom superflats. It appears as a 3D block in the block selection screen of the custom superflat interface.
TU54	CU44	1.52	1.52	1.52	Patch 24	1.0.4	Lava can now generate in woodland mansions.
TU69		1.76	1.76	1.76	Patch 38		It is now possible to drown in lava to match Bedrock Edition.
			1.88				Cauldrons can now be filled with lava.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0							Added lava.
1.9.19							Lava can now generate in woodland mansions.

Data history

Java Edition
1.13			17w47a				Prior to The Flattening, these blocks' numeral IDs were 10 and 11.

Issues

Issues relating to "Lava" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Trivia

An arrow catches fire when shot into flowing lava, but not still lava.
Water flows into lava-occupied blocks as though it were empty space, and vice versa.
Although lava is a fluid, it is not possible to drown in lava. This applies to all mobs. However, it is still possible to suffocate in lava. This applies to almost every mob.‌^[6]
If the lava texture is changed to be transparent via a resource pack, it does not become transparent.
In Bedrock Edition, lava does not deactivate elytra like water does.
Geologically, lava in the Overworld is consistent with felsic lava, and lava in the Nether is consistent with mafic lava. Felsic lava is slow, sticky, and does not run as far as mafic lava, which is relatively thin and runny.
In 22w44a, when the gamerule lavaSourceConversion was added, the title of the game rule in the "Edit Game Rules" section of the "Create World Screen" had "lava" misspelled as "lave".^[7] A splash text was later added in 1.19.3-pre1 that says "Made with lave!".

Gallery

Screenshots

Lava's melting pattern for snow and ice.
A natural lava spring near a waterfall.
The lava "ocean" layer of caves.
A naturally-occurring stream of lava next to diamond and iron ore.
The warning in Legacy Console Edition when trying to place lava near the spawn point.
A running lava source (origin not seen) uncovered six blocks below the surface of desert terrain.
The inside view of lava with the night vision effect.
Ladders can stop lava from flowing.
A lava spring.
Lava spreading into dirt.
Lava in a ravine.
Lava found in a snowy ravine.
Lava generates on bedrock.
Lava being extinguished near bedrock.
Lava pool and water pool meeting each other naturally.
Two lava springs meeting water in a savanna plateau.
Lava spreading in the Overworld.
A lava spring spreading into a lava lake.
Sugar cane growing with lava flowing around it.
Tall lavafall flowing into ravine.
Ravine with multiple ores, water and lava falls, and stronghold bridge over it.
Another example of underground lava lake.
Lava pouring from a cliff.
Lava and water pouring from a cliff.
Lava and ores in a cave underground.
Lava texture in Classic 0.0.21a_01.
Lava setting fire to grass.