Introduction to Volcanoes and Their Types

 The term derived its name from Vulcano, an island

Geomorphology – is the study of the relief features of off Sicily named after the Roman God, Vulcan.
the earth’s crust.
Three Primary Geologic Forces  At present there are 859 active volcanoes in the
1. Diastrophism world, more than 75% of them are located in the
2. Erosion Circle of Fire (also known as the Pacific Ring of Fire)
3. Volcanism

Diastrophism – refers to the vertical and horizontal  Countries in the pacific ring of fire: America, chili
movement of the crust that typically produces the Alaska, Andes mountains, Central America, Mexico,
mountains. It is also characterized by a large movement California, Aluetian Islands, Siberia, New Zealand,
part of the earth’s crust. Kamchatka, Kurile island, Japan, Philippines,
- Diastrophism can occur due to internal pressures. Celebes, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and New
Caledonia.
Erosion – is the physical removal of rock or wearing
down of landmasses by geomorphic agent such as Features of a Volcano
running water, glacial ice, and wind. 1. Cone – the most striking part of the volcano, usually
- Erosion are caused by forces of outside the earth’s composed of mixtures of lava and pyroclastic.
crust (exogenous forces).  Viscous and slow-moving granitic magma forms
high-sided steep cones;
 Weathering – a process when rock and other  While fast moving basaltic magma creates low
materials are decomposing when exposed to the almost flat cones.
surface of the earth and come in contact with the 2. Vent – the opening through which an eruption takes
atmosphere. place. This main part of a volcano supplies the magma
Volcanism or Volcanicity – is the phenomenon related from the underlying source to the top of the volcano.
to various process associated with the surface They can be straight or convoluted.
discharge of magma or hot water and streams including 3. Magma chamber – the large underground pool of
volcanoes, geysers, fumaroles, and hot spring. liquid rock found beneath the earth’s crust.
4. Crater – a basin-like depression over vent at the
Geyser – is a phenomenon on the surface where the summit of the cone.
ground water beneath the shallow surface is heated up 5. Caldera –m a volcanic depression much larger than
until it explodes into boiling water and stream. the crater.
6. Lava – the rock or magma expelled from the volcano
Fumaroles – emit mixtures of stream and other gases during eruption. Its temperature upon ejection can
such as hydrogen sulfide which forms into sulfuric acid reach up to 700oC, hence it flows until it cools and
and native sulfur upon contact with other elements. hardens.
7. Dikes – the barrier or obstacles in a volcano. Dikes
Hot springs – occur in many geothermal areas where are found in igneous forms which, under great
the surface of the earth intersects the water table. pressure, cut fracture or fissures across previously
formed metamorphic, sedimentary, or igneous rocks.
What is a Volcano? 8. Sills – otherwise known as intrusive sheets, they are
 Volcano in an example of extrusive volcanism. solidified lave flows that originally forced their way
 Volcano is typically a cone-shaped hill or mountain between and parallel to older layers of rocks.
forms by extrusion of lave or ejection of rock 9. Conduit – channel or pipe conveying liquid materials
frgmanets from a vent. such as magma.
10. Flank – the side of a volcano
11. Summit – the highest point or apex of a volcano The volcano formation can be explained using the
12. Throat – the entrance of a volcano following methods:
13. Ash cloud – expelled in the atmosphere; volcanic 1. Formation by subduction – it is dependent on the
ash cloud is composed of pulverized rock and glass plates which form the top layer of the mantle.
created during eruption. When subduction occurs, the plates drift atop a thick
14. Volcanic bombs – the chunk of lava blasted into the layer of molten pyrolytic rocks. As the plates drift, one
air which solidifies before reaching the ground. Their edge of the plate slips beneath the edge of another.
sizes may vary and can measure up to 64 mm in This creates a hole through which the materials the
diameter. earth’s crust slips.
15. Pyroclastic flow – fast moving currents of hot gases 2. Formation by distension – is caused by a hotspot
and rock travelling downhill from a volcano. near the earth’s outer core.
 Particles with less than 2 mm diameter are called  Hotspot – is a region of high volcanic activity not
ashes. located at nay plate boundary.
 Particles with 2-64 mm in diameter are called lapilli.
 Those bigger than 64 mm in diameter are called Two hypotheses used to explain hotspot:
blocks and bombs. 1. Hotspots are due to hot mantle plumes that rise as
16. Tephra fall – refers to fragmented material that thermal diapirs from the core mantle boundary.
consists of pumice, scoria, lithic materials, or crystals or 2. Instead of high temperature, it is the lithospheric
combination of four. extension that permits the passive rising of liquid
17. Lahar – are also called mudflows; they are flowing materials from shallow depth.
mixture of volcanic debris and water.
Volcanoes are formed when magma accumulates in the
mountains on the earth’s surface.

 Active Volcanoes – it is currently erupting or shows

signs of unrest activities such as significant amount
of gas emission or frequent seismic activities.
 Fumarolic stage – which is characterized by the
emission of acid gases and vapor. After thus phase,
hot springs arise from the volcano.
 Inactive or dormant volcanoes – if the last traces of
volcanic heat disappear and if it has not erupted in
2,000 years.
 Extinct volcanoes – when volcanoes exceeded a
period of dormancy of at least 10,000 years and are
Formation of a Volcano not expected to erupt.
 Volcanoes are built through the accumulation of
their own eruptive products such as lava, ash flows,
and tephra. They form when hot materials such as
magma from below rises and leaks into the crust.
 The magma increases mass of the volcano’s outer
mound causing it to bulge outward and upward,
and then erupts. Strong earthquakes can be felt as
the magma rises into the vents.