WEEK 1 VULCANISM
Volcanism is the eruption of molten rock from
inside the Earth to the surface, it occurs
because of Earth’s internal heat, and is
associated with tectonic processes and a part
of the rock cycle., any of various processes and
phenomena associated with the surficial
discharge of molten rock, pyroclastic
fragments, or hot water and steam, including
volcanoes, geysers, and fumaroles.
VOLCANO VOCABULARY
Active volcano-A volcano that is erupting or
has erupted within historical time and is
considered likely to do so in the future.
Ash - Fine particles of rock dust blown from an
explosion vent.
Ashfall - Volcanic ash that has fallen through
the air from an eruption cloud.
Vent A vent is an opening at the Earth's
surface of a volcanic conduit.
Composite Volcano A steep volcanic cone built
by both lava flows and pyroclastic eruptions.
Compound Volcano A volcano that consists of
a complex of two or more vents, or a volcano
that has an associated volcanic dome, either in
its crater or on its flanks
volcano Conduit -A passage (pipe) followed
by magma in a volcano.
Crater - A steep-sided, usually circular
depression formed by either explosion or
collapse at a volcanic vent.
Dormant volcano -A volcano which is presently
inactive but which may erupt again.
Eruption The process by which solid, liquid,
and gaseous materials are ejected into the
earth's atmosphere and onto the earth's
surface by volcanic activity.
Fault A crack or fracture in the earth's surface.
Fissures Elongated fractures or cracks on the
slopes of a volcano.Geysers Springs that
throw boiling water high in the air. They are
caused by volcanic heat warming trapped
ground water.
Lava Magma which has reached the surface
through a volcanic eruption. Streams of liquid
rock that flow from a crater or fissure.
Lava Flow An outpouring of lava onto the land
surface from a vent or fissure.
Magma Molten rock beneath the surface of
the earth.
Magma chamber (Magna reservoir) The
subterranean cavity containing the gas-rich
liquid magma which feeds a volcano.
volcano Ring of Fire The regions of mountain-
building earthquakes and volcanoes which
surround the Pacific Ocean.
Stratovolcano A volcano composed of both
lava flows and pyroclastic material.
Vent The opening at the earth's surface
through which volcanic materials issue forth.
Volcano A vent in the surface of the Earth
through which magma and associated gases
and ash erupt; also, the form or structure,
usually conical, that is produced by the ejected
material.
Volcanic Eruptions
the danger from the hot lava, an erupting
volcano can trigger are life threatening things.
Tsunamis flash floods
earthquakes mud flows rock falls.
Effect of Volcanoes on people and the
environment
Buildings are destroyed and people are
made homeless.
People are killed.
Clouds of ash cover plants making them
inedible.
Poisonous gases kill people and animals.
Dust causes pneumonia and illnesses to
the survivors.
Dark skies, severe winds and heavy rains
may follow an eruption for months
afterwards.
What are the 3 types of volcanoes in the
Philippines?
There are three main types of volcano -
composite or strato, shield and dome.
Composite volcanoes, sometimes known as
strato volcanoes, are steep sided cones
formed from layers of ash and [lava] flows.
The eruptions from these volcanoes may be a
pyroclastic flow rather than a flow of lava. A
pyroclastic flow is a superheated mixture of
hot steam, ash, rock and dust. A pyroclastic
flow can travel down the side of a volcano at
very high speeds with temperatures over 400
degrees Celsius. Composite volcanoes can rise
over 8000 feet.
When composite volcanoes erupt they are
explosive and pose a threat to nearby life and
property. Eruptions are explosive due to the
thick, highly viscous lava that is produced by
composite cone volcanoes. This viscous lava
has a lot to do with why they are shaped the
way they are. The thick lava cannot travel far
down the slope of the volcano before it cools.
Composite volcanoes are usually found at
destructive plate margins. Examples of
composite volcanoes include Mount Fuji
(Japan), Mount St Helens (USA) and Mount
Pinatubo (Philippines).
Shield volcanoes are usually found at
constructive boundaries and sometimes at
volcanic hotspots. Examples of shield
volcanoes include Mount Kilauea and
Maunaloa on Hawaii.
Dome (Acid Lava Cones)
Acid [lava] is much thicker than [lava] which
flows from shield volcanoes. Dome volcanoes
have much steeper sides than shield
volcanoes. This is because the lava is thick and
sticky. It cannot flow very far before ot cools
and hardens.
Volcanoes will erupt for two reasons
1. The magma deep under the crust is less
dense than the surrounding rock causing it to
rise.
2. As the magma approaches the surface of
the Earth the gas that is in the magma will
come bubbling out because the pressure
surrounding the magma will decrease nearer
the surface.
The six eruption types are in order from least
explosive to the most explosive;
Icelandic- flood, or fissure eruptions are all
terms for volcanic eruptions that flood the
surface of the Earth with massive amounts of
very hot, very thin, runny lava. The lava comes
out of the ground through long cracks in the
surface called fissures. Some of these fissures
can be up to 15 miles long.
The type of cone produced from icelandic
eruptions is a shield cone. Shield cones are
very low and very broad shaped volcanoes.
These volcanoes erupt many times over the
same area forming huge, and thick lava
plateaus.
Hawaiian- are similar to Icelandic eruptions
because both eruption types have many
fissures bringing the lava to the surface. Both
types of eruptions are known for their
beautiful fire fountains like the one shown
above. The lava that flows from both types of
eruptions is very hot, thin, and runny which
allows for fast flowing lava flows.
The main difference lies in the fact that most
Hawaiian eruptions have the greatest quantity
of lava pouring out of the main vent at the
volcano's summit, not along side fissures.
These summit eruptions build the cone
steeper and higher. The volcano above was
formed from Hawaiian eruptions.
Strombolian and Vulcanian eruptions are more
explosive than Icelandic and Hawaiian
eruptions.
Strombolian eruptions are named for the
volcanic island off of the coast of Italy.
Stromboli has erupted over many centuries
almost constantly. Stromboli has been named
the "Lighthouse of the Mediterranean"
because it erupts every 20 minutes or so.
Strombolian eruptions are short lived
explosive eruptions that shoot very thick and
pasty lava into the air along with bursts of
steam and gas.
Strombolian eruptions usually produce little or
no lava. Because of this the cones that are
produced by this type of eruption is a very
steep sided cone called a cinder cone.
Vulcanian eruptions are more violent and
explosive than strombolian eruptions.
Vulcanian eruptions are named after the island
of Vulcano off the coast of Italy. This is the
same island that gave us the name "Volcano".
Vulcanian eruptions contain high dark clouds
of steam, ash, and gas. The ash plume builds a
cauliflower shaped head and a thinner more
treetrunk-like base. When the volcano quits
erupting ash and gases it then ejects thick
pasty lava. Vulcanian eruptions usually build a
steep sided cone that is more symetrical than
a cinder cone. This more symetrical cone is
called a strovolcano.
Vulcanian eruptions will send an ash plume to
a height of 2 -9 miles.
Pelean- Pelean and Plinian eruptions are the
most dangerous and explosive of the eruption
types. Pelean eruptions are named for the
catastophic eruption on the island of
Martinique in the Carribean Sea in 1902. The
eruption and the pyroclastic flow that
followed killed 29,000 people almost instantly.
"Glowing clouds" of gas and ash flew down
the mountain at over 70 miles per hour. The
cloud was so full of ash that it was heavier
than air and hugged the ground as it
approached the coast. The temperatures were
probably around 700 degress F. which would
annihalate everything in its path.
The only person to survive was a prisoner that
was sentenced to death. The only reason he
survived was that he was imprisoned in a very
thick walled cell and the only door faced away
from the explosion.
A Plinian eruption is the most explosive of the
eruption types. Mt. St. Helens eruption was a
plinian eruption. Plinian eruptions are
characterized by a very high ash cloud that rise
upwards to 50,000 feet (almost 10 miles) high.
Very deadly pyroclastic flows are also part of
plinian eruptions.
Mt. Vesuvius, which erupted in 79 A.D. in Italy,
was a classic Plinian eruption. Very hot ash
falls killed thousands of people in the city of
Pompei. Ash falls as high as 17 feet buried the
city. Plinian eruptions were named for Pliny
the Elder of Rome who died in one of the
many eruptions of Vesuvius.
WEEK 1 LEARNING TASK:
1. Name the six eruption types and the three cone shapes.
2. Describe how a: Shield cone form Cinder cone forms
Stratovolcano forms
3. Draw diagrams to represent the six eruption types.
