Science  

Quarter 3 – Module 2:  

Causes and Nature of Volcanic 
Eruption 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Science – Grade 9
Quarter 3 – Module 2: Causes and Nature of Volcanic Eruptions
First Edition, 2021

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 9 
Science 
Quarter 3 – Module 2: 
Causes and Nature of Volcanic 
Eruption 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
Introductory Message 

This Self-Learning Module (SLM) is prepared so that you, our dear learners, 
can  continue  your  studies  and  learn  while  at  home.  Activities,  questions, 
directions,  exercises,  and  discussions  are  carefully  stated  for  you  to 
understand each lesson.  
Each  SLM  is  composed  of  different  parts.  Each  part  shall  guide  you 
step-by-step as you discover and understand the lesson prepared for you.  
Pre-tests  are  provided  to  measure  your  prior  knowledge on lessons in each 
SLM. This will tell you if you need to proceed on completing this module or if 
you  need  to  ask  your  facilitator  or  your  teacher’s  assistance  for  better 
understanding of the lesson. At the end of each module, you need to answer 
the post-test to self-check your learning. Answer keys are provided for each 
activity and test. We trust that you will be honest in using these.  
In  addition  to  the  material  in  the  main  text,  Notes  to  the  Teacher  are  also 
provided to our facilitators and parents for strategies and reminders on how 
they can best help you on your home-based learning.  
Please  use  this  module  with  care.  Do  not  put  unnecessary  marks  on  any 
part  of  this  SLM.  Use  a  separate  sheet  of  paper in answering the exercises 
and tests. And read the instructions carefully before performing each task.  
If  you  have  any  questions  in  using  this  SLM  or  any  difficulty in answering 
the  tasks  in  this  module,  do  not  hesitate  to  consult  your  teacher  or 
facilitator.  
Thank you.  

2 
 
 Let Us Learn!  
 
   
  This module welcomes you in the third quarter of this subject. Earlier, 
you  have  encountered  topics  about  volcanoes  and  its  types  and  features. 
Now, you are going to deepen your understanding on how it behaves. 
  Have  you  ever  thought  of  how  volcanoes  behave  and  why  do  they 
erupt?  What  do  you  think  are  the  factors  and  elements  that  affect  its 
behavior?  
This module will cover the lessons on: 
Explain what happens when volcanoes erupt ​(S9ES-IIIb-28) 
Particularly you will need to: 
1. explain what causes volcanoes to erupt 
 
2. discuss the nature of volcanic eruption; 
 
3. Identify factors that affects the viscosity of magma 
 
 
Let Us Try!  
 
 
Multiple Choice. ​Choose the letter of the best answer. 
 
1. When a volcano ejects acid lava, the eruption is usually__ 
 
a. Soft and less violent  c. Light and less violent 
b. Loud but less violent  d. Loud and more violent 
 
2. In some eruptions, mudflows are forced over the__ 
 
a. Ocean bed  c. Earth’s mantle 
b. Earth’s core  d. Earth’s surface 
 
3. The magma which is forced onto the Earth’s surface is known as: 
 
a. Vent  c. Lava 
b. Cone  d. Magma chamber 
1 
 
 
4. During eruptions, the volcanic materials are____ 
 
a. Blown to some feet  c. Blown to some inches 
b. Blown to some meters  d. Blown to many kilometers 
 
5. The  divergence  of  plates  allows  magma  from  the  mantle  to  reach  the 
surface as___ 
 
a. Ice b. Lava c. Rocks d. Stones 
 
6. Volcanoes that erupt frequently are known as___ 
 
a. Active volcanoes  c. Instinct volcanoes 
b. Extinct volcanoes  d. Dormant volcanoes 
 
7. The world’s underwater ridges and islands were formed as a result of__ 
 
a. Volcanism at hotspot 
b. Underwater volcanism 
c. Earthquake volcanism 
d. Volcanism at destructive plate boundary 
 
8. Active volcanoes are most likely to be found __ 
 
a. In the Pacific Ring of Fire 
b. In convergent boundaries 
c. Where tectonic plates collide 
d. All of the above 
 
9. When  magma  is  thick  with  more  dissolved  gas,  we  can  expect  the 
volcanic eruption to be a/an___ 
 
a. Oozing ash and lava 
b. Spewing water like a geyser 
c. Lava fronting over the crater 
d. Violent ejection of ash and lava 
 
10.  Volcanoes  exist  along  ridges  of  tectonic  plates.  Mt.  Vesuvius  exists 
between which tectonic plates? 
 
a. African plate and Eurasian plate 
b. Antarctica plate and Eurasian plate 
c. Indo-Australian plate and African plate 

2 
 
 d. Eurasian plate and North American plate 
 
Let Us Study  
  
 
Are you ready to explore? Let’s go! 
  
​Picture Interpretation 
 
 

 
 
https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/fc3666d9-d06c-4264-9d85-e967c5f72b89 
 
   
Guide Questions: 
 
1. What is the scenario being portrayed by the picture? 
__________________________________________________________________ 
__________________________________________________________________ 
__________________________________________________________________ 
 
2. How are volcanoes considered as threats to life and property? 
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ 
_________________________________________________________________ 
 
3. Why should we be informed about volcanic activities? 
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ 
 
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Let Us Practice  
 
Are you now excited to know more? Let’s begin! 
 
Activity 1: What Causes Volcanoes to Erupt? 
 
At  the  end  of  this  activity,  students  are expected to know the factors 
that  cause  volcanoes  to  erupt.  Read  the  text  and  answer  the  guide 
questions.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4 
 
 
 
Guide Questions: 
1. What are some elements released by a volcano during explosion? 
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________ 
______________________________________________________________________ 
 
2. How volcanic eruption can change Earth’s appearance? 
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________ 
 
3. How do we benefit from the energy within the Earth? 
 
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________ 
 
Activity 2: Let Us Interpret 
Direction: Explain the scenarios shown in every picture. 

   
5 
 
 1. ____________________________ 2._____________________________ 
____________________________ _____________________________ 
 

3.______________________________​ ​____ 4.___________________________ 

__________________________________ ___________________________ 
 
   

 
5. _______________________________ 6. __________________________ 
_______________________________ ____________________________ 
   
 
 
 
  
  
 
6 
 
 
Activity 3: Science Patrol 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Direction:  Read  the  given information about the Mayon’s eruption. Answer 
the guide questions. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Guide Questions: 
 
1. What do you think caused the silent eruption of Mayon? 
  
  
1.What do you think causes the Mayon Volcano to erupt? 
______________________________________________________________ 
7 
 
 ______________________________________________________________ 
______________________________________________________________ 
 
 
2. How do volcanic eruptions affect us? How do we prepare for this 
kind of calamity? 
________________________________________________________________ 
________________________________________________________________ 
________________________________________________________________ 
 
 
 
3. Why do you think we have so many volcanoes here in the 
Philippines several of which are active? 
   
________________________________________________________________ 
________________________________________________________________ 
________________________________________________________________ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Let Us Practice More  
 
 
Earlier  in  the  previous  sections  of  this  module  you  have  answered 
activities  relating  to  causes  and  nature  of  volcanic  eruption.  Now,  let  us 
8 
 
have  an  in-depth  understanding  of  why  volcanic  eruption  is  highly 
dependent on the viscosity of magma. 
 
   
 
Part  I.  Word  Hunt: Locate the given word/s in the grid. These words will be 
used on the part II of this activity. 
 
 
Factors Affecting the Viscosity of  Other Related Words 
Magmas 
 
 
  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Part  II.  ​Check  Your  Knowledge​:  Given  the  words  on  Part  I,  Match  each 
word  to  its  corresponding  definition.  Write  your  answers  on  the  space 
provided. 
_____________ 1. Reflects the melting point of their mineral component. 
______________2. Dark colored mafic rock, commonly extrusive (from volcanic 
eruptions) 
______________3. Dark-colored, dense, course-grained intrusive igneous rock. 
______________4. Fine-grained, brown, or grayish volcanic rock. 
______________5. A process of liquefying due to heat 
______________6. Pale, fine-grained volcanic (extrusive igneous rock) 
______________7. A location of the Earth’s mantle from which hot plumes rise 
upward, creating volcanoes on the overlying crust. 
______________8.  Silicate  –rich  materials  typically  formed  at  the  destructive 
plate boundaries, more extensive silicates they become highly viscous which 
makes it usually explosive. 
______________9.  Magmas  undergo  melting  process  of  mantle  rocks  have 
generally  volatile  contents  while  those  form  by  partial  melting  of  crustal 
rocks are often volatile-rich. 
______________10. When magmas reach the surface they begin to crystallize 
 
 
 
Let Us Remember  
 
 
You’re doing a great job; let us now recall the concepts about volcanic 
eruption. 
 
Direction: Fill in the missing word/s to complete the text paragraph. Choose 
your answer on the box provided. 
 
 

10 
 
 
 
 
 
Volcanoes are______ but they are very different from other mountains; 
they  are  not  formed  by  ________  and  crumpling  or  by  uplift  and  erosion. 
Instead,  volcanoes  are  built  by  the  accumulation  of  their  own  eruptive 
products- _______, ________ (crusted over ash flows, and tephra (airborne ash 
and  dust).  A  volcano  is  most  commonly  a  conical  hill  or  mountain  built 
around  a  _______that  connects  with  reservoirs  of  __________  below  the 
surface  of  the  _________.  The  term  _________  also  refers  to  the  opening  or 
vent through which the molten rock and associated gases are expelled. 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Driven by buoyancy and _____ pressure the molten rock, which is lighter 
than the surrounding ___________ forces its way upward and may ultimately 
break through zones of weaknesses in the Earth’s _______. If so, an eruption 
begins  and  the  molten  rock  may  pour  from  the  vent  as  non-explosive  lava 
flows, or if may shoot violently into the air as dense_______ of lava ________. 
Larger  fragments  fall  back  around  the  vent  and  accumulations of fall back 
fragments  may  move  downslope  as  ash  flows  under  the  force  of  ________. 
Some  of  the  finer  ejected  materials  may  be  carried  by  the  ________  only  to 
fall  to  the  __________  many  miles  away.  The  finest  ash  particles  may  be 
injected miles into the atmosphere and carried many times around the world 
by _________________ before settling out. 
 
Let’s Discuss! 
Geology is the study of Earth, its matter, and the processes that form 
and change it. 
Volcanic activities are windows to Earth’s interior-they provide us with 
important  information  with  the  materials  and  processes  undergoing 
inside the planet. 
11 
 
 Volcanoes  are  not  randomly  distributed  over  the  surface  of  Earth. 
Majority of them can be found above sea level surrounding the Pacific 
Ocean  and  form  the  region  called  “Pacific  Ring  of  Fire”.  They  are 
formed through accumulation of eruptive products. 
Volcanic  eruptions  are  difficult  to  predict  and  most  cannot  be  really 
predicted.  Geologists  and  volcanologists  employ  various  instruments 
in order to forecast volcanic activities so as to minimize the impacts of 
the natural phenomena to men and other living organisms. 
Magma is an extremely hot liquid or semi hot liquid located under the 
Earth’s surface. 
Lava  is  a  molten  rock  that  has  been  expelled  from  the  interior  of  a 
terrestrial planet. 
 
 
 
 
 
  Let Us Assess  
 
 
​You’ve come this far! Go for it. 
 
Multiple Choice. ​Choose the letter that corresponds to the correct answer. 
 
1. The type of volcano that is commonly found in the Pacific Ring of Fire 
is_________ 
 
a. Scoria cone  d. Stratovolcano 
b. Cinder volcano 
c. Shield volcano 
 
2. The semi-molten rock underneath a volcano is called______ 
 
a. Lava  c. Geyser 
b. Lahar  d. Magma 
 
 
3. The tallest volcano on Earth is______ 
 
a. Mauna Loa  c. Mt. Vesuvius 
b. Mt. Everest   d. Mayon Volcano 
 
4. Which of the countries below has the most number of active volcanoes? 
12 
 
 
a. Iran b. India c. Italy d. Indonesia 
 
 
5. Active volcanoes are most likely to be found___ 
 
a. In the Pacific Ring of Fire 
b. In convergent boundaries 
c. Where tectonic plates collide 
d. All of the above 
 
6. Volcanoes  exist  along  the  ridges  of  tectonic  plates.  Mt.  Vesuvius  exists 
between which tectonic plates? 
 
a. African plate and Eurasian plate 
b. Antarctica plate and Eurasian plate 
c. Indo-Australian plate and African plate 
d. Eurasian plate and North American plate 
 
7. When  magma  is  thick  with  more  dissolved  gas,  we  can  expect  the 
volcanic eruption to be a/an______ 
 
a. Oozing ash and lava 
b. Lava frothing over the crater 
c. Spewing water like a geyser 
d. Violent ejection of ash and lava 
 
8. Geothermal energy is a clean and renewable source of energy that can be 
used by harnessing heated water from within the Earth and converting it to 
steam so that it can move turbines and generate_____ 
 
a. Ice   
b. Rain   
c. Electricity   
d. Potable water 
 
9. Who is the “Father of geothermal energy” in the Philippines? 
 
a. Arturo Alcaraz 
b. Howel Williams 
c. Kelvin Rodolfo 
d. Renato Solidum 

2 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
10. Which of the following statements is ​not​ ​true about volcanoes? 
 
a. The pH of water in a lake near a volcano is usually basic 
b. volcanoes can form at the barrier of tectonic or oceanic plates 
c. The largest volcano in our solar system known to scientists is in 
Mars 
d. The composition of magma and lava is the same; it is just the site 
of their formation where they differ. 
   
11. A volcano that is referred to as a dormant volcano to as a dormant 
volcano is classified as______ 
 
a. active  c. inactive 
b. extinct  d. tectonic 
 
12. Mt. Kilauea in Hawaii is a low and broad volcano. This type of volcano 
that is formed from loose and fluid lava that flows over each other is 
called______ 
 
a. cinder cone  c. stratovolcano 
b. shield volcano  d. submarine volcano 
 
13. The most violent type of volcanic eruption is________ 
 
a. Plinian  c. Vulcanian 
b.Hawaiian  d. Strambolian 
   
14. As the crustal plate moves, it carries along the volcano which 
becomes____ 
 
a. hot b. old c. cold d. extinct 
 
15. The volcanism that takes place at the constructive plate boundary on 
the ocean floor is known as______ 
 
a. Volcanism at hotspot c. Volcanism at hotspot 
b. Underwater volcanism d. Volcanism at destructive plate 
13 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Let Us Enhance  
 
 
 
Situation:  What if you live in an area where an active volcano is near. What 
are  some  safety  measures  that  you  will  do  to  stay  safe  at  times  of  this 
calamity. 
 
​Disaster Preparedness- Volcanic Eruptions 
 
 
   
Before a volcanic eruption  During a volcanic eruption 
   
1.  1. 
   
2.  2. 
   
3.  3. 
   
4.  4. 
   
5  5. 
   
   
   
   
 
 
After a Volcanic Eruption 
 
 
1. 
 
2 
 
3. 
 
15 
 
  
4. 
 
 
5. 
 
 
 
 
Let Us Reflect  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Direction:  Write  the  contrasting  ideas  on  both  sides  of  the  circle  while  its 
common characteristics at the center.  
 
 
 
     
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
16 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
Assessment Rubric for Venn Diagram 
 
 
Criteria  4  3  2  1 
         
  Each  Each section of  Each section of  Each section 
Concept  section of  the diagram  the diagram  of the diagram 
Arrangement  the diagram  contains three  contains two  contains very 
  contains  facts easily  facts that are  few facts that 
  four facts  identified.  somewhat  are not easily 
  easily  identified  identified 
  identified. 
 
 
         
         
  Student  Student  Student  Students 
Primary  exhibits  illustrates  displays a  show little or 
Source  mastery of  affirmer  limited  no 
Content  the material  understanding of  understanding  understanding 
  as  most of the  with some  of topic. There 
  evidenced  similarities and  details pertinent  are scant 
  by attention  differences  to the subject  details. 
  to detail.  brainstormed.  matter. 
 
         
        Contains non- 
  Reflects  Most of the  Reflects some  factual 
Linking  factual  information is  factual  information 
Content  information  factual and  information and  that does not 
together  that  seemingly  attempts to put  correspond to 
  corresponds  corresponds with  it in  the 
  with  appropriate  corresponding  appropriate 
  appropriate  section of  section of  section of 
  section of  diagram.  diagram.  diagram 
  diagram. 
 
 
17 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Answer key to Activities 
   

18 
 
  
 
 
 
  References 
 
 
   
How Do Volcanoes Erupt? (2008). 
Https://Www.Usgs.Gov/Faqs/How-Do-Volcanoes-Erupt?Qt-News_science_produc
ts=0#qt-News_science_products. 
https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-do-volcanoes-erupt?qt-news_science_products=0
#qt-news_science_products 
 
Jacobs, T. (2020, January 16). What causes a volcano to erupt, how they formed 
and different types of volcano revealed. The Sun. 
https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/6246894/volcano-formation-erruptions-different
-types/ 
 
Volcanoes: The Nature of Volcanoes. (1999). 
Https://Pubs.Usgs.Gov/Gip/Volc/Nature.Html. 
https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/volc/nature.html 
 
Geological Society - Viscosity of Magmas. (2012). 
Https://Www.Geolsoc.Org.Uk/Ks3/Gsl/Education/Resources/Rockcycle/Page36
55.Html. 
https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/ks3/gsl/education/resources/rockcycle/page3655.h
tml 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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