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Notes Volcano Notes

Volcanoes form at three main plate boundary settings and erupt differently depending on the viscosity of the magma. Shield volcanoes have low-viscosity basaltic magma and non-explosive eruptions at divergent boundaries and hot spots. Composite volcanoes and cinder cones have more viscous andesitic and rhyolitic magma and explosive eruptions at convergent subduction zones. Volcanic hazards vary and include lava flows, ash falls, pyroclastic flows, mudflows, and gases, with pyroclastic flows being the most dangerous. Monitoring signs like earthquakes, ground deformation, and gas emissions helps determine a volcano's status and eruption risk.

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667 views42 pages

Notes Volcano Notes

Volcanoes form at three main plate boundary settings and erupt differently depending on the viscosity of the magma. Shield volcanoes have low-viscosity basaltic magma and non-explosive eruptions at divergent boundaries and hot spots. Composite volcanoes and cinder cones have more viscous andesitic and rhyolitic magma and explosive eruptions at convergent subduction zones. Volcanic hazards vary and include lava flows, ash falls, pyroclastic flows, mudflows, and gases, with pyroclastic flows being the most dangerous. Monitoring signs like earthquakes, ground deformation, and gas emissions helps determine a volcano's status and eruption risk.

Uploaded by

tsindelar
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Volcanoes

VOLCANOES

BIG Questions
1 – What plate settings
do volcanoes occur at?
2 - Volcanoes aren’t equally dangerous
how do their hazards differ, and why?
Volcano
• an opening in a planet's
crust, which allows hot molten rock,
ash, and gases to escape from
below the surface.
hat comes out of a volcano?
Ash
hat comes out of a volcano?
Gas
Most common:
H2O
CO2
SO2
HCl
hat comes out of a volcano?
Lava
So...Why are there
different types of
Volcanoes
• Viscosity of the magma controls the type of
volcano.
• Viscosity – a liquid’s resistance to flow
• Low viscosity – flows easily
• High viscosity – flows slowly
• Viscosity is controlled by the composition
and temperature of the magma.

• Silica (SiO ) content controls viscosity.


2
What are the
different types
of Magma?

• Basaltic
• Andesitic
• Rhyolitic
Viscosity and Silica
content
Compositi Magma Viscosity Gas % Silica % Explosive Location
on Source ness

Basaltic Upper Low 1-2 % ~ 50 % Least / Divergent


Mantle Mild Boundarie
s and Hot
Spots
Andesitic Ocean Medium - 3-4 % ~ 60 % Intermedi Convergen
Crust & High ate t
Sediments Subductio
n Zones
Rhyolitic Continent High - 4-6 % ~ 70 % Greatest Convergen
al Crust Extreme t
Subductio
n Zones
High silica = high viscosity = explosive
eruption
Low silica = low viscosity = quiet
Shape

• Shapes of volcanoes are due to the


viscosity of the magma.
• Runny lava forms relatively flat shield
volcanoes with quite eruptions.
• Thick lava forms steep cones with explosive
eruptions.
Explosivenes

Explosiveness of the volcano


is controlled by
- the silica content of the magma
- the viscosity of the magma
- the release of gases
Types of
QuietEruptions
“runny”
Plate Setting: Divergent Boundaries
and Hot Spots
Type of Volcano: Shield volcanoes
Type of Magma: Basaltic composition

Explosive “clogged”
Plate Setting: Convergent Boundary Subduction Zones
Type of Volcano: Composite volcanoes and Cinder Cones
Type of Magma: Andesitic or Rhyolitic composition
Quiet Eruptions
• Magma flows easily
• Gasses bubble out gently
ate Setting: Divergent Bounda
nt boundary volcanoes have very low viscous
and non-explosive eruptions
Plate Setting: Hot Spot
spot volcanoes form when mantle plumes ri
through the crust like a blow torch
cterized by low viscous magma and non-explo
eruptions
Type of Volcano:
Shield

•Usually start under water


•resembles a Roman shield lying on the ground
•characterized by relatively quiet eruptions with lava
flows that harden on top of each other
Type of Magma:
Basaltic
• runny, low viscosity lava

Examples:
• relatively little explosive activity
- Hawaiian Is
- Iceland
ea, Hawaii: A typical shield vo
Basaltic eruptions
produce
2 types of lava
oe – hot, fast moving lava. Surface looks
wrinkles and rope-like coils
Pahoehoe Lava
Pahoehoe Lava
Basaltic eruptions
produce
2 types of lava
oler, slow moving lava. Hardens to form r
jagged lava chunks
Anatomy of a Shield
Volcano
Explosive
Eruptions
• Magma is thick and “sticky”
Magma slowly builds up in the volcano's pipe
•
Gasses cannot easily escape from the magma
•
• Trapped
explodes
gasses build up pressure until the volcano

• More dangerous and


pyroclastic flows
have more hazards such as
Pyroclastic Flows
• Pyroclasticflows - fast-moving
hot gas and rock fragments which
travel away from the volcano
• speedsgenerally as great as 450
miles/hr
• Can reach temperatures of 1,830
°F
te Setting: Convergent Bound
Explosive volcanoes form at
convergent subduction zones and have
highly viscous magma
pe of Volcano: Cinder Cone
• relatively small (less than 300 m or 1000 ft high)
• relatively steep slopes (30 - 40 degrees)
• made of pyroclastic material
Type Of Magma:
Andesitic
- high silica content
- highly viscous magma
- explosive eruptions

Examples
- Paracutin, in Mexico
Anatomy of a Cinder
Cone
ype of Volcano:
Composite

• large (1 - 10 km across)
• Also called a Stratovolcano
• layered structure, consisting of alternating
layers of lava and pyroclastic material
• These volcanoes make up the largest
percentage of the Earth's volcanoes (about
60%)
Type Of
agma: Rhyolitic
- high silica content
- highly viscous
- explosive eruptions

Examples:
Mt. Vesuvius,
Mt. St. Helens and
Mt. Rainier in the
Cascade Range
St. Helens: Before the 1980 erup
St. Helens after its 1980 erupt
Anatomy of a
Composite Volcano

Pyroclastic
flow
Status of a
Volcano
• Active– currently erupting or
showing signs of an imminent
eruption. Risk is high

• Dormant– does not show signs of


an erupting in the near future or
has not erupted in the recent
past

• Extinct – unlikely to ever erupt


again
Signs a volcano is
about to erupt
• Whena volcano begins to show new
or unusual signs of activity, it
is possible it is about to erupt

• Increased Earthquake Activity


• Ground Deformation
• Change in water composition
• Gas emissions
• Monitoring from space
Volcanic Hazards
Volcanic Hazards
Lava flows

Ash fall

Pyroclastic flows

Mudflows

Volcanic Gases

Tsunami
Volcanic Hazards
Volcanic Hazards
Volcanic Hazards
Volcano Hazards program
• http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/alertsystem/icons.php
•

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