To properly explain what was occurring there were one of two things one needed to know. First was an advanced knowledge of energy-based sheering, material deformation, finite element analysis, and fancy glasses with wild hair. Second was an accurate analogy to explain it all symbolically in one go.
In this case, her plasma lances were cutting through the rock like a thermal nuclear explosion cut through softened butter. Vapoirzing the rock, the remnant heat was enough to melt a passage down in a shower of sparkles and pink, purple plasma. It wasn't as fast as she liked, there was a considerable amount of mass to manipulate, and the various minerals all melted a bit differently.
