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    Volcanoes

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    Roger Corre Riva
    Volcanoes form when magma from the Earth's upper mantle works its way to the surface and erupts. They are categorized as active if recently erupted, dormant if not erupted in a long time but could again, or extinct if last erupted thousands of years ago. Volcanic eruptions occur at plate boundaries as the plates move and exert friction, releasing pressure. The Ring of Fire around the Pacific is home to over 50% of the world's active volcanoes. Notable eruptions include Mount St. Helens in 1980, Krakatoa in 1883, and Mount Pelee in 1902.

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    Volcanoes

    Uploaded by

    Roger Corre Riva
    233 views6 pages
    Volcanoes form when magma from the Earth's upper mantle works its way to the surface and erupts. They are categorized as active if recently erupted, dormant if not erupted in a long time but could again, or extinct if last erupted thousands of years ago. Volcanic eruptions occur at plate boundaries as the plates move and exert friction, releasing pressure. The Ring of Fire around the Pacific is home to over 50% of the world's active volcanoes. Notable eruptions include Mount St. Helens in 1980, Krakatoa in 1883, and Mount Pelee in 1902.

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    Volcanoes

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    Volcanoes form when magma from the Earth's upper mantle works its way to the surface and erupts. They are categorized as active if recently erupted, dormant if not erupted in a long time but could again, or extinct if last erupted thousands of years ago. Volcanic eruptions occur at plate boundaries as the plates move and exert friction, releasing pressure. The Ring of Fire around the Pacific is home to over 50% of the world's active volcanoes. Notable eruptions include Mount St. Helens in 1980, Krakatoa in 1883, and Mount Pelee in 1902.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    233 views6 pages

    Volcanoes

    Uploaded by

    Roger Corre Riva
    Volcanoes form when magma from the Earth's upper mantle works its way to the surface and erupts. They are categorized as active if recently erupted, dormant if not erupted in a long time but could again, or extinct if last erupted thousands of years ago. Volcanic eruptions occur at plate boundaries as the plates move and exert friction, releasing pressure. The Ring of Fire around the Pacific is home to over 50% of the world's active volcanoes. Notable eruptions include Mount St. Helens in 1980, Krakatoa in 1883, and Mount Pelee in 1902.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 6

    Volcanoes

    What is a volcano?
    A volcano is a mountain that opens downward to a pool of molten rock below the
    surface of the earth. When pressure builds up, eruptions occur. Gases and rock shoot
    up through the opening and spill over or fill the air with lava fragments. Eruptions can
    cause lateral blasts, lava flows, hot ash flows, mudslides, avalanches, falling ash and
    floods. Volcano eruptions have been known to knock down entire forests. An erupting
    volcano can trigger tsunamis, flash floods, earthquakes, mudflows and rockfalls.

    How are volcanoes formed?


    Volcanoes are formed when magma from within the Earth's upper mantle works its
    way to the surface. At the surface, it erupts to form lava flows and ash deposits.
    Over time as the volcano continues to erupt, it will get bigger and bigger.

    What are the different stages of volcanoes?


    Scientists have categorized volcanoes into three main categories: active, dormant,
    and extinct. An active volcano is one which has recently erupted and there is a
    possibility that it may erupt soon. A dormant volcano is one which has not erupted in
    a long time but there is a possibility it can erupt in the future. An extinct volcano is
    one which has erupted thousands of years ago and there’s no possibility of eruption.

    Why do volcanoes erupt?


    The Earth's crust is made up of huge slabs called plates, which fit together like a
    jigsaw puzzle. These plates sometimes move. The friction causes earthquakes and
    volcanic eruptions near the edges of the plates. The theory that explains this
    process is called plate tectonics.

    What are plate tectonics?


    The theory of plate tectonics is a interesting story of continents drifting from place
    to place breaking apart, colliding, and grinding against each other. The plate tectonic
    theory is supported by a wide range of evidence that considers the earth's crust and
    upper mantle to be composed of several large, thin, relatively rigid plates that move
    relative to one another. The plates are all moving in different directions and at
    different speeds. Sometimes the plates crash together, pull apart or sideswipe each
    other. When this happens, it commonly results in earthquakes.
    What are the different types of volcanoes?
    Volcanoes are grouped into four types: cinder cones, composite volcanoes, shield
    volcanoes and lava volcanoes.
    Cinder cones are circular or oval cones made up of small fragments of
    Cinder Cones lava from a single vent that have been blown into the air, cooled and
    fallen around the vent.
    Composite volcanoes are steep-sided volcanoes composed of many
    layers of volcanic rocks, usually made from high-viscosity lava, ash and
    Composite
    rock debris. Mt. Rainier and Mount St. Helens are examples of this
    Volcanoes
    type of volcano.
    Shield volcanoes are volcanoes shaped like a bowl or shield in the
    middle with long gentle slopes made by basaltic lava flows. Basalt lava
    Shield
    flows from these volcanoes are called flood basalts. The volcanoes that
    Volcanoes
    formed the basalt of the Columbia Plateau were shield volcanoes.
    Lava domes are formed when erupting lava is too thick to flow and
    makes a steep-sided mound as the lava piles up near the volcanic vent.
    Lava
    The eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 was caused in part by a lava
    Volcanoes
    dome shifting to allow explosive gas and steam to escape from inside
    the mountain. 
    What is the Ring of Fire?
    The Pacific Ring of Fire is an area of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
    encircling the basin of the Pacific Ocean. The Ring of Fire has 452 volcanoes and is
    home to over 50% of the world's active and dormant volcanoes. Ninety percent of
    the world's earthquakes and 81% of the world's largest earthquakes occur along the
    Ring of Fire.
    When did Mount St. Helens erupt?
    On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted. It's located in southwestern
    Washington State in the Cascade Range. The blast was heard as far away as Montana,
    Idaho, Canada and California. Fifty-seven people died and the eruption caused $1.2
    billion in damage.

    What are some other notable volcano eruptions?


    Krakatoa was a dormant volcano in Indonesia, which awakened and produced one of
    the biggest volcanic eruptions in 1883. So massive was the eruption that the sound of
    it was heard as far away as Australia. It’s widely reported as the loudest sound heard
    in recorded history. The Krakatoa eruption created a huge amount of ash cloud which
    covered the Earth and reduced global temperatures for 5 years! A total of 40,000
    people died in that explosion and an entire chain of the volcanic island was destroyed
    Mount Pelee was a dormant volcano situated in the Caribbean island of Martinique. In
    1902, it erupted in a massive horizontal explosion sending huge clouds of ash released
    towards the nearby town of Saint-Pierre. The side of the volcano exploded and lava
    flowed straight into the town, killing 30,000 people in a matter of minutes. It is
    regarded as one of the biggest and most devastating volcanic eruptions of the 20th
    century, a benchmark for future eruptions.

    Mount Fujiyama, also popularly known as Mount Fuji, is an active volcano which last
    erupted in 1708. It is incidentally the tallest mountain in Japan. If you are visiting
    Tokyo, the capital of Japan, look in the west on a clear day and you will be able to see
    Mount Fuji. It is an iconic volcano. Mount Fuji is 3,776 meters high and it is snow clad
    throughout the year, with five lakes surrounding it. Currently in a state of dormancy,
    there has not been any eruption reported for more than 300 years. The last known
    eruption lasted for about 3 weeks during which it covered the surrounding villages
    with ash and cinders. Mount Fuji is now a popular tourist location with a large number
    of climbers actively scaling the mountain top.

    What is a tsunami?
    A tsunami is a large ocean wave usually caused by an underwater earthquake or a
    volcanic explosion. Tsunamis are NOT tidal waves. Tidal waves are caused by the
    forces of the moon, sun, and planets upon the tides, as well as the wind as it moves
    over the water. With typical waves, water flows in circles, but with a tsunami, water
    flows straight. This is why tsunamis cause so much damage!
     Know the Lingo 
    MAGMA - Magma is the liquid rock inside a volcano.

    LAVA - Lava is the liquid rock (magma) that flows out of a volcano. Lava glows red hot
    to white hot as it flows.

    ACTIVE VOLCANO - An active volcano is one that erupts regularly.

    DORMANT VOLCANO - A dormant volcano is one that has not erupted for many
    years, although there is still some activity deep inside.

    EXTINCT VOLCANO - An extinct volcano is a volcano that is no longer active.

    GEYSERS - Geysers are springs that throw boiling water high in the air. They are
    caused by volcanic heat warming trapped ground water.

    ASH - Ash are very small fragments of lava or rock blasted into the air by volcanic
    explosions.

    PUMICE - It is a light-colored volcanic rock containing lots of bubbles from trapped


    gases..

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