Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: volcanoes quizlet
Volcanoes
This paper will define and discuss the volcano to include: types of volcanoes,
formation of a volcano, and elements of a volcano; such as, lava, rock fragments, and gas.
This paper also tells a little bit about volcanic activity in different parts of the world.
What is a volcano?
A volcano is a vent in the earth from which molten rock and gas erupt. The molten
rock that erupts from the volcano forms a hill or mountain around the vent. The lava may
flow out as a viscous liquid or it may explode from the vent as solid or liquid particles.
Kinds of Volcanic Materials
Three basic materials that may erupt from a volcano are; 1. lava, 2. rock
fragments, and 3. gas.
Lava
Lava is the name for magma that has been released onto the Earth's surface. When
lava comes to the Earth's surface, it is red hot and may have temperatures of more than
2012 degrees Fahrenheit. Fluid lava flows swiftly down a volcano's slopes.
Sticky lava flows more slowly. As the lava cools, it may harden into many different
formations. Highly fluid lava hardens into smooth, folded sheets of rock called pahoehoe.
Stickier lava cools into rough, jagged sheets of rock called aa. Pahoehoe and aa cover
large areas of Hawaii, where the terms originated. The stickiest lava forms flows of
boulders and rubble called block flows. It may also form mounds of lava called domes.
Other lava formations are spatter cones and lava tubes. Spatter cones are steep hills
that can get up to 100 feet high. They build up from the spatter of geyser-like eruptions of
thick lava. Lava tubes are tunnels formed from fluid lava. As the lava flows, its exterior
covering cools and hardens. But the lava below continues to flow. After the flowing lava
drains away, it leaves a tunnel.
Rock Fragments
Rock fragment are usually called tephra and are formed from sticky magma. This
magma is so sticky that its gas can not easily escape when the magma approaches the
surface or central vent. Finally, the trapped gas builds up so much pressure that it blasts the
magma into fragments. Tephra consists of volcanic dust, volcanic ash, and volcanic bombs,
(from smallest to largest size particle).
Volcanic dust consists of particles less than one one-hundredth inch in diameter.
Volcanic dust can be carried for great distances. In 1883, the eruption of Krakatau in
The eruptions of Mount Rainier produce lahar mudflows which are similar to pyroclastic flows except they contain more water. These mudflows carry debris of volcanic ash and boulders that produce lava flows and have the consistency of concrete flowing down a mountain (C.M. Riley). Lahars can flow up to 100 kilometers per hour and can extend out to more than 300 kilometers in distance. Because they are hard to predict, give off little warning signs, and move so rapidly through valleys, lahar slides are considered to be one of the most deadly volcanic hazards.
Volcanoes. The naturally forming landforms that can look remarkably beautiful. Gentle slopes, or high rising heights with snow caps and greenery that seems to attract many tourists and sightseers around the world. These magnificent landforms can also cause major destruction and can produce forces that can explode, burn, and create a great deal of damage. Two of these extravagant wonders of the world is the Mount Saint Helens composite volcano in Washington, US, and the Mauna Loa shield volcano in Hawaii, US. These landforms have a eruption history of many colors. One has a great power in eruption, but another has a eruption that is quiet and gentle. In comparing these two volcanoes there are many likes, and dislikes, to consider. So the following
Basalt forms due to the partial melting of the layer of the mantle called the asthenosphere. The asthenosphere is the plastic zone of the mantle beneath the rigid lithosphere. Mantle plumes coming from the mesosphere can cause the asthenosphere to melt with heat or even if pressure decreases, which is called decompression melting (Richard 2011). The magma that forms from this melting is mafic magma that solidifies once it reaches the earth’s surface and cools quickly. The above process mainly occurs mainly during intraplate igneous activity which is the main explanation for volcanic activity that occurs a long distance away from a plate boundary. If the tectonic plate above the mantle plume is moving it can create a string of volcanic activity such as in Hawaii. See Fig 2.
The first graph show how the Valles Caldera volcano was formed. The top section was the early eruptions of lava and ash which sta...
Volcanoes have played a key role in forming the face of the earth as we know it today. Some of the most well known landmarks and locations in the world are volcanoes. From the Hawaiian Islands to Mount Vesuvius, the Earth is populated with hundreds of active and dormant volcanoes. Among these volcanoes there are multiple different types. Stratovolcanoes, the most dangerous type of volcanoes, are built by multiple eruptions over many years. Shield Volcanoes, the largest recognizable volcanoes, are characterized by being short but very broad with low sloping sides. Cinder cones, the most common type of volcano in the world, are composed of large amounts of tephra, or pyroclastic debris. The last type of volcano is supervolcanoes. Supervolcanoes are the largest volcanoes. They also have the highest potential for damage. This paper will discuss these these different types of volcano.
Volcanoes vary in shape, size, and type. Likewise, volcanoes have varied eruption styles, from beautiful fiery displays of explosive lava to pyroclastic flows of hot gases and ash. A volcano is an opening in the Earth’s surface where magma has erupted or poured through, generally resulting in hills or mountains (Abbott, 2014). This natural phenomenon has spawned a field of science known as volcanology. Volcanology is a branch of geological science that studies volcanoes, lava, and magma (RedOrbit.com, 2015). By studying volcanoes, volcanologists gain a better understanding of how volcanoes form and erupt.
Mount Mazama’s final eruption started as if it was just another normal one. The ash and lava started coming out of a single vent on the northeast side of the volcano. The lava went 30 miles into the air and was carried by winds covering a large area in ash and tephra. So much magma erupted causing the vent to widen and the eruption column collapsed. As the eruption continued, circular cracks opened around the peak.
Volcanic Eruption, which means the sudden occurrence of a violent discharge of steam and volcanic material, is one of the catastrophes in human history. It can devastate enormous areas, as well as people. The eruption of the Vesuvius in AD 79 buried the cities of Herculaneum, Pompeii and Stabiae with ashes and mud. (Oracle think quest) The majority of ancient volcanoes, like Mt. Vesuvius in Italy and Mt. Tambora in Indonesia are all dormant volcanoes now. However, Mt. Etna, which have been erupting for millions of years, still remaining active now. (Sicily Life) From 4 May 2011 to 6 May, it erupted and emitted enormous lava - molten rock - and ashes - chemical composition and abrasive of the particles from a volcanic eruption - into the air. For the sake of it is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, acquire the basic information about volcano and Mt. Etna is essential.
I have never experienced a volcano erupting before because there are no volcanos where I live. A volcano is a hole in the earth’s surface where gasses, magma, pieces of rocks, and ashes explode from the earth. Mt St. Helens eruption included many details common to other eruptions that caused damage and destruction to property and lives affected the region has recovered in its aftermath.
A volcano is a mountain with an opening at its tip. Volcanoes contain a pool of molten rock below the surface of the earth.
I. Introduction Volcano: defined is a mountain or hill formed by the accumulation of materials erupted through one or more openings (called volcanic vents) in the earth's surface. The term volcano can also refer to the vents themselves. Most volcanoes have steep sides, but some can be gently sloping mountains or even flat tablelands, plateaus, or plains. The volcanoes above sea level are the best known, but the vast majority of the world's volcanoes lie beneath the sea, formed along the global oceanic ridge systems that crisscross the deep ocean floor. According to the Smithsonian Institution, 1511 above-sea volcanoes have been active during the past 10,000 years, 539 of them erupting one or more times during written history. On average, 50 to 60 above-sea volcanoes worldwide are active in any given year; about half of these are continuations of eruptions from previous years, and the rest are new. Mount St. Helen Volcanic eruptions in populated regions are a significant threat to people, property, and agriculture. The danger is mostly from fast-moving, hot flows of explosively erupted materials, falling ash, and highly destructive lava flows and volcanic debris flows. In addition, explosive eruptions, even from volcanoes in unpopulated regions, can eject ash high into the atmosphere, creating drifting volcanic ash clouds that pose a serious hazard to airplanes. II. Volcano Formation All volcanoes are formed by the accumulation of magma which is molten rock that forms below the earth's surface. Magma can erupt through one or more volcanic vents, which can be a single opening, a cluster of openings, or a long crack, called a fissure vent. It forms deep within the earth, generally within the upper part of the mantle which is one of the layers of the earth's crust, or less commonly, within the base of the earth's crust. High temperatures and pressures are needed to form magma. The solid mantle or crustal rock must be melted under conditions typically reached at depths of 50 to 60 mi. (80 to 100 km) below the earth's surface. Once tiny droplets of magma are formed, they begin to rise because the magma is less dense than the solid rock surrounding it. The processes that cause the magma to rise are poorly understood, but it generally moves upward toward lower pressure regions, squeezing into spaces between minerals within the soli...
Volcanoes are one of natures most interesting and dangerous phenomenons. The way volcanoes operate can be understood, on a basic level, by just some simple physics and chemistry, this paper will investigate and explain some of the basic physics that govern the behavior of volcanoes.
Volcanoes can be one of the most destructive forces on Earth. It is estimated that some
The earliest outcropping volcanic deposits date back to about 25,000 years ago. The lavas observed at a -1125 m bore-hole are about 0,3-0,5 million years old. It is known for the first eruption of which an eyewitness account is preserved, in 79 AD. Geologically, Vesuvio is unique for its unusual versatility. Its activity ranging from Hawaiian-style release of liquid lava, fountaining and lava lakes, over Strombolian and Vulcanian activity to violently explosive, plinian events that produce pyroclastic flows and surges.