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Volcanoes and Volcanism

Volcanoes form from molten rock rising up through the Earth's surface. There are three main types of volcanoes - cinder cones, composite volcanoes, and shield volcanoes - which are distinguished by their shape and eruptive products. Volcanoes can be classified as active, dormant, or extinct based on their recent eruptive history. Eruptions come in different styles from relatively gentle to extremely violent, and can have devastating primary and secondary effects.

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70 views

Volcanoes and Volcanism

Volcanoes form from molten rock rising up through the Earth's surface. There are three main types of volcanoes - cinder cones, composite volcanoes, and shield volcanoes - which are distinguished by their shape and eruptive products. Volcanoes can be classified as active, dormant, or extinct based on their recent eruptive history. Eruptions come in different styles from relatively gentle to extremely violent, and can have devastating primary and secondary effects.

Uploaded by

Kyla Lavega
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Volcanoes and volcanism

word derivation: Vulcano (lil island in Mediterranean Sea off Sicily)

belief: Vulcano- chimney of the forge of Vulcan (Roman god)

:In Polynesia, wrathful Pele (Goddess of Volcanoes)

Volcanoes- mountains

-conical hill built around a vent that connects with reservoirs of molten rock below the Earth’s surface

term refers to: opening or vent through which molten rock and associated gases are expelled

built not by: folding and crumpling

built by: accumulation of their own eruptive products (lava, bombs, tephra)

formation: subduction- sets the foundation of a volcano

eruption: high temp and pressure, rocks melt and rises through the surface

Magma- molten rock below Earth’s surface

Lava- erupted molten rock

- rock ejected

composition: crystals, fragments of rocks, dissolved gases, liquid (primarily)

Vent- narrow opening of a volcano

Crater- upper part of vent

- cup-shaped depression

Pyroclastic Flow- fluidize mixture of solid to semi-solid fragments

mixture of: hot gas, ash, volcanic rocks

Types of Lava Flows

Aa- a basalt with a rough, blocky appearance

- much like a furnace slag

Pahoehoe- a more fluid variety with a smooth, satiny. -glassy appearance

Definitions

Viscosity- property of fluid that resists the force tending to cause the fluid to flow

Ash- powdery residue of matter that remains after burning

Caldera- a large crater

Three Phases of Volcanoes

Active- have erupted in the past 10 000 yrs

(Mt. St. Helens)

Dormant- have not erupted in the past 10k yrs


(Mt. Rainier)

Extinct- no eruption occurred within historic times (Mt. Ashitaka- japan)

Hotsprings- found in areas of volcanic activity

-21 C (70 F) or above

Geysers- a hot spring that intermittently sends up fountain (jets of water & steam into the air)

Types of Volcanoes

Cinder cones- simplest type

-bowl-shaped crater

-rarely >1000 ft

built from: particles and blobs of congealed lava ejected from a single vent

-paricutin volcano (mexico, 1200 ft)

Composite Volcanoes- grandest mountains

-stratovolcanoes

-steep-sided, symmetrical cones

- rise as much as 8000 ft

built from: alternating layers of lava flows, volcanic ash, cinders, blocks and bombs

-Mt. Fuji, Mt. St. Helens etc.

-crater at the summit

-lava, solidified at fissures, forms dikes (strengthen the cone as they act as ribs)

-essential feature: conduit system (magma ^)

-becomes dormant: erosion destroys the cone exposing:

volcanic plug- magma filling the conduit

dikes- magma filling the fissures

-Shishaldin Volcano (alaska, 9 372 ft)

Shield Volcanoes- domical-shaped

-much like a warrior’s shield

-some largest volcanoes in the world

built: from almost entirely of fluid lava flows

:slowly by the accretion of thousands of highly fluid lava flows (basalt lava)

-diameters (3 to 4 miles)

-height (1500 to 2000 ft)

-Hawaiin island (linear chains of these volcanoes), kilauea & mauna loa, 15 000 ft (ocean floor at the bases of the
islands)

:mauna loa- largest shield volcano

-world’s largest most active

-13 677 ft (above sea level), 28 000 ft (bsl)

-lava commonly erupt from vents along fractures (rift zones)


Lava domes

formed by: relatively small, bulbous masses of lava too viscous to flow any great distance

forms: craggy knobs or spines over the volcanic vent,

coulees—steep-sided lava flows

Types of Volcanic Eruption

Strombolian- huge clots of molten lava burst from the summit crater to form luminous arcs

Vulcanian- dense cloud of ash-laden gas explodes from the crater (whitish cloud)

Vesuvian- great quantities of ash-laden gas are violently discharged to form cauliflower

Pelean/ Nuee Ardente- large quantity of gas, dust, ash, and incandescent lava fragments are blown out of a central
crater, fall back, and form tongue-like, glowing avalanches that move downslope at velocities as great as 100 miles per
hour.

Hawaiin- may occur along fissures that serve as linear vents

fissure-type eruption- molten, incandescent lava spurts from a fissure (flow downslope)

central-type eruption- a fountain of fiery lava spurts to a height of several hundred ft

Phreatic/Steam Blast- bast out fragments of preexisting solid rocks from the volcanic conduit

-explosive expanding steam resulting from cold ground or surface water coming into contact with hot rock or magma

Plinian- most powerful eruptions and involve the explosive ejection of relatively viscous lava

-fast-moving deadly pyroclastic flows

Effects of Volcanic Eruptions

Primary effect

-volcanic gases: steam, co2, cmpds of Su&Cl

-lava flows

-pyroclastic flows

Secondary effect

-Lahars: mixtures of water, rock, sand, ash and mud that originate from the slopes of a volcano.

-landslides

-flooding

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