Types of Eruptions:

Explosive and Nonexplosive

Science 9
 REVIEW
How can we classify the characteristics of a
volcano?
Based on Frequency Eruption
Based on Their Features
 Based on Location
 Classification Based on
Frequency Eruption
• Volcanoes are often classified as active, inactive or dormant,
and extinct. However, there are still issues arising from these
classifications.

• Many scientists consider a volcano active if it has erupted

within the last 10,000 years. This definition would include
approximately 1 500 active volcanoes worldwide. But others
would only like to consider volcanoes active if it has erupted
in recorded history. With that definition of active volcanoes
there could only be more than 500 volcanoes on the list.
The second type of volcano is called extinct. They consider a
volcano as an extinct volcano if it has not erupted in historical
times. However, there are volcanoes that have long been thought
to be extinct but suddenly resumed eruption lately. An example
of this is the Fourpeaked Volcano in Alaska, which has been
considered extinct for 10,000 years but erupted in the year 2006.
In this case, the term dormant or inactive is more applicable than
extinct. 
What scientists consider as extinct are only those that are not
likely to erupt again because their supply of magma has been
depleted. The question is: how sure are we that a volcano has no
more magma supply?
And so, scientists now prefer the terms active and inactive only,
being most cautious with the term extinct. The term active is
when the volcano is actually erupting or at least showing unusual
signs of activity like earthquakes and gas emissions.
 Classifying Volcanoes
Based on Their Features
• Composite Volcano or
Stratovolcano
• Shield Volcano
• Cinder Cones or Pyroclastic
Cones
• Caldera Volcano
 Classification Based on
Location
• The Earth is 70% water and although we may be familiar with
continental volcanoes, the land part of the earth is only about
30%. Therefore, most of the volcanoes can be found
underwater.
• Volcanoes which can be found on land are referred as
continental volcanoes. However, there are volcanoes that lie
beneath the ocean and high-latitude countries like Iceland.
Most of the volcanoes that you know in the Philippines like
Pinatubo, Apo, Mayon, and Taal are continental volcanoes.
 MT. APO
Davao del Sur, Philippines
Submarine volcanoes are underwater vents on certain zones of
the ocean floor from which magma can erupt. On the other hand,
subglacial volcanoes are located either underneath a glacier
itself or under the water which is inside a glacier. These
volcanoes have different shapes compared to the other types of
volcanoes.
 A. Types of Lava
• There are 4 main types of lava:
1. A’a
2. Pahoehoe
3. Pillow
4. Blocky
B. A’a-Lava
1. A’a lava flows have a very rough,
rubbly surface because of their high
eruption rates.
As the upper surface of the lava cools
and becomes rock, it is continually
ripped apart by the moving molten
lava inside the flow.
2. Pieces of the rocky surface are broken,
rolled and tumbled along as the lava
flow moves. When finally cooled to a
solid, a’a lava flows look like a
jagged heap of loose rock that is
very difficult to walk over without
stumbling and getting cut.
C. Pahoehoe
1. Pahoehoe lava flows have a
relatively smooth surface texture
because of their low eruption
rates.
2. Pahoehoe lava flows develop
surface crusts that form thick plates
with ropy and/or gently undulating
surfaces.
 1. Pillow lava forms from
D. Pillow Lava underwater eruptions
2. “Pillow” lava is so-called
because it forms rounded
lumps that look like fat
pillows, or the bolster
cushions of a sofa.
3. The pillows can form piles a
few to tens of meters high.
4. Pillow lava flows can be
many hundreds of meters to
kilometers long.
 E. Blocky Lava
1. Cool stiff lava that does not travel far from
the erupting vent.
2. It cools and form sharp edged chunks.
 F. Pyroclastic Material from
EXPLOSIVE ERUPTIONS
1. 4 types of pyroclastic material
a. Volcanic blocks
b. Volcanic bombs
c. Lapilli
d. Volcanic Ash
G. Volcanic Blocks
1. Volcanic blocks
are solidified
rock fragments
greater than 64
mm in diameter.
2. Blocks
commonly are
ejected during
explosive
eruptions and
consist of older
pieces of the
volcano.
H. Volcanic Bombs
1. Volcanic bombs are
large pieces of magma
that harden in the air
as the erupt out of a
volcano.
2. They can form in a
variety of sizes and
shapes.
I. Lapilli 1. Lapilli means
“little stones”
in Italian.
2. They are tiny
pieces of
magma that
harden before
they hit the
ground.
 1. Volcanic ash
J. Volcanic Ash forms when
gases in stiff
magma expand
rapidly.
2. The walls of the
gas bubbles
explode into tiny
glasslike slivers.
3. Ash makes up
most of a
pyroclastic
eruption.
Types of Rocks that are spewed
during volcanic eruptions
• Pumice is a type of extrusive volcanic rock, produced when
lava with a very high content of water and gases is discharged
from a volcano. As the gas bubbles escape, the lava becomes
frothy. When this lava cools and hardens, the result is a very
light rock material filled with tiny bubbles of gas.
Scoria forms when magma containing abundant dissolved gas
flows from a volcano or is blown out during an eruption. As the
molten rock emerges from the Earth, the pressure upon it is
reduced and the dissolved gas starts to escape in the form of
bubbles.
 ACTIVITY
1. List the 4 types of lava.
2. This type of lava is very rough with jagged edges.
3. This type of lava forms from underwater eruptions, looks like
rounded lumps.
4. This type of lava has a smooth surface and rounded edges.
5. This type of lava forms sharp edged chunks.
6. List the four types of pyroclastic material.
7. These are large blobs of magma that have cooled and hardened
as they flew through the air.
8. These are tiny pieces of magma that have hardened in the air.
9. These are solid rock fragments and usually consist of pieces of
the old volcano.
10. This is formed from when gases in stiff magma expand and
explode into slivers.
 Answers
1. A’a, pahoehoe, pillow, blocky
2. A’a
3. Pillow
4. Pahoehoe
5. Blocky
6. Blocks, bombs, lapilli, ash
7. Bombs
8. Lapilli
9. Blocks
10. Ash