Magma is molten rock located beneath the Earth's surface, specifically in the mantle and oceanic plates. When magma solidifies, it forms igneous rocks. Magma differs from lava in that magma is found in the magma chamber of volcanoes, while lava is the molten rock found on the Earth's surface after a volcanic eruption. Magmatism is the process where magma forms and moves within the lower crust and upper mantle of the Earth.