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