"What we are now saying is that with just a trace of carbon dioxide in the mantle, melting can begin as deep as around 200 kilometers. "When we incorporate the effect of trace water, the magma generation depth becomes at least 250 kilometers."

How far deep does lava come from?

It is created deep beneath Earth's surface (often 100 miles or more underground), where temperatures get hot enough to melt rock. Scientists call this molten rock magma when it's underground.

Is there lava underneath the ground?

A layer of molten rock trapped since Earth's formation may exist where the solid mantle meets the core, a new study says. A layer of searing hot liquid magma trapped since Earth's formation may lie 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometers) beneath our feet, new research suggests.