The dark and relatively featureless lunar plains, clearly seen with the naked eye, are called maria (Latin for "seas"; singular mare), as they were once believed to be filled with water;[60] they are now known to be vast solidified pools of ancient basalticlava. Although similar to terrestrial basalts, lunar basalts have more iron and no minerals altered by water.[61] The majority of these lavas erupted or flowed into the depressions associated with impact basins. Several geologic provinces containing shield volcanoes and volcanic domes are found within the near side "maria".[62]