Volcanoes and Volcanism

A volcano is a conical shaped hill or mountain formed from the accumulations of lava and rock
fragments emitted through a volcanic vent. Based on activities volcanoes are classified as active,
dormant or extinct. The better way of classifying volcanoes is based on the materials of which
they are made. Based on this criterion, volcanoes may be named as shield, cinder and
composite.
Other volcanic landforms:
1. Caldera – formed when a composite volcano or shield volcano collapses into a shallow,
empty magma chamber below the volcano. A large caldera may measure about 40
kilometers in diameter and might have walls as much as a kilometer high.
2. Lava plateaus – are formed from the accumulation of low-viscosity lave that reaches the
surface through fissures. These are made up of many approximately horizontal layers of
solidified basalt lava.
3. Geysers – are formed from a violent eruption of underground water that is heated near the
hot magma.
4. Hot springs – are formed when the circulating heated ground water rises to the earth’s
surface.
5. Mud volcanoes – are formed when chemical reactions with heated, acidic waters from hot
springs convert rocks to viscous clay. The hot clays bubble similar to lava.
Volcanism or volcanic eruption is the emission of material from deep in the Earth. During
eruptions, materials are built up forming a mountain called volcano. However, there are also
eruptions that don’t result in the formation of a volcano.
Quiz #2 (MIDTERM): Must be handwritten.

1. Define the following

a. Classifications of volcanoes: active, dormant and extinct

b. Classifications of volcanoes: shield, cinder and composite

2. Briefly discuss the volcanism or volcanic eruption which happens underwater at the mid-ocean
ridges.

3. What are the products of volcanic eruption?

4. Why does magma rise to the earth’s surface?

5. Why is magma changed into lava when it has reached the earth surface?

Date of submission: August 15, 2018 (Wednesday)

Reminder: Prepare for your upcoming midterm exam on August 16, 2018 (Thursday). The exam will cover
entire topics on Geologic Resources, Earthquakes and Volcanoes. (Including questions asked in quizzes and
assignments)
1. A

Active volcano is a volcano that has had at least one eruption during the past 10,000 years. An active
volcano might be erupting or dormant

Erupting volcano is an active volcano that is having an eruption

Dormant volcano is an active volcano that is not erupting, but supposed to erupt again

Extinct volcano has not had an eruption for at least 10,000 years and is not expected to erupt again in a
comparable time scale of the future

1. B

Composite cone volcanoes are cone-shaped volcanoes composed of layers of lava, ash and rock debris.
Composite cone volcanoes can grow to heights of 8,000 feet or more and have explosive eruptions.
Shield volcanoes are broad, domed-shaped volcanoes with long, gently sloped sides. These volcanoes
can cover large areas but never grow very tall due to the composition of the highly fluid lava they
produce that spreads out but does not pile up. Shield volcano eruptions are less explosive than
composite volcanoes.
Cinder cone volcanoes are steep, cone-shaped volcanoes built from lava fragments called 'cinders.'
These volcanic cinders, also known as 'scoria,' are glassy volcanic fragments that explode from the
volcano and cool quickly, building up the sides of the cinder cone volcano fairly quickly. However, these
volcanoes rarely reach heights of more than a thousand feet tall.

Different Types of Volcanoes

Type of Volcano Shape Height Slope

Cinder Cone, AKA Scoria Cone Symmetrical cone Up to 1,200 feet (370 meters) 30-40 degrees

Roughly 10 degrees near the base

Shield Tall and broad Up to over 30,000 feet (9,000 meters)
and 5 degrees near the top

Roughly 6 degrees near the base and

Composite, AKA Strato Tall, steep, and symmetrical Up to 8,000 feet (2,400 meters)
roughly 30 degrees near the top

Lava Dome Dome Up to 330 feet (100 meters) 25-30 degrees

2. Volcanic eruption happens underwater or Mid-ocean ridges are geologically active. New magma
steadily emerges onto the ocean floor and intrudes into the ocean crust at and near rifts along the ridge
axes. The crystallized magma forms new crust of basalt (known as MORB for mid-ocean ridge basalt) and
below it (in the lower oceanic crust), gabbro. MORs are formed by two oceanic plates moving away from
each other. Hydrothermal vents are a common feature at oceanic spreading centers.

The rocks making up the crust below the seafloor are youngest along the axis of the ridge and age with
increasing distance from that axis. New magma of basalt composition emerges at and near the axis
because of decompression melting in the underlying Earth's mantle.

The oceanic crust is made up of rocks much younger than the Earth itself. Most oceanic crust in the
ocean basins is less than 200 million years old. The crust is in a constant state of "renewal" at the ocean
ridges. Moving away from the mid-ocean ridge, ocean depth progressively increases; the greatest depths
are in ocean trenches. As the oceanic crust moves away from the ridge axis, the peridotite in the
underlying mantle cools and becomes more rigid. The crust and the relatively rigid peridotite below it
make up the oceanic lithosphere.

3. Mafic Lava- flows only a few miles an hour- not a threat to human life. But can fow a few to more than
100 miles and it covers up whatever it flows across. Lava can also emit poisinous gasses.

Felsic- Stickier than mafic so tends to pile up right over its vent or opening to form mound shaped hills
called lava domes. These vary in size from human to ones greater than the World Trade Center. Main
hazard is that these lava bodies become over steepened as they grow and tend to collapse- slide or flow
down the side of the volcano. These avalanches are hot, travel more than 100 mph, and can travel a few
to more than 10 miles. They crush, cover, incinerate, suffocate all that gets in their path.

Material thrown out of a volcano is called Pyroclastic which meand fire broken. Lava explodes out of a
volcano because it is like Pepsi-Cola in the plastic 20 oz bottle sitting on the store shelf. To find out why
you need to be in lecture!

When a volcano erupts explosively the blown out lava bits plus magmatic gas form a towering column
above the volcano called an eruption column. These can be a few hundred to more than 50 miles high.

The blown out lava bits are not unlike rising bread dough- they are full of holes and very light. The blown
out bits are called pumice. Pumice comes in various sizes-these range from bread loaf through dinner roll
to donut holes. However the most common size is that of a stepped on crouton- this size material is
called ash.

The blown out bits can do one of two things:

 fall out of the eruption column to form airfall ash deposits. These accumulate
over the ground like snow accumulates on a window sill- they are layered or
bedded and mantle the topography. Largest bits fall out closest to the opening
the material was blown out of- get finer with distance away from the volcano.
This is hazardous material- poisinous, kills crops, wrecks amacinery, causes
darkness at noon, collapse roofs, can cause climate change.
 Examples: Vesuvious, Krakatoa, Pinatubo, St. Helens.
 Bits, plus gas, fall out in mass around the opening and then travel over the
ground like a flow- called Pyroclastic Flow or Nuee Ardente. These are the
ultimate volcanic hazard- they are fast (60-300 miles per hour), hot (gas and
pumice- 1000-1300 degrees Farenheit), and can go a long way (5 to more than
150 miles).
 Examples: Yellowstone, Pelee, Pompeii, Crater Lake, Taupo.

4. Magma rises to the Earth's surface due to a combination of differences in density with other rocks in
the crust and pressure. The differences in density cause it to move upward until its density is the same as
the other rocks in the crust. It then builds pressure, causing it to rise to the surface
Magma is made of molten rocks and minerals. It forms in the lower crust and upper mantle layers of the
Earth due to movements in the mantle, changes in temperature or contact with water or carbon dioxide
under the surface. These changes cause rocks in the crust to melt, forming magma. Sometimes, magma
collects in magma chambers, and sometimes, it simply rises until its density is the same as the other
rocks around it. However, once it has risen, it comes into contact with gases, forming bubbles. In some
cases, the magma decompresses too quickly and the bubbles build up and create pressure. This pressure
causes the surrounding rock to fracture, letting the magma rise to the surface. Magma that is created
through exposure to water can rise under different conditions. Water causes rock to melt at lower
temperatures, so less pressure is involved. However, water usually enters the lower crust through
subduction zones in the ocean floor, which also allow the magma to escape.

5. All magma contains dissolved gases. As it rises to the surface, the pressure is reduced and the
dissolved gases can escape. If the lava is runny (not viscous), the gases can escape easily and the lava
will just run down the landscape (somewhat like syrup). However, if the lava is thick and pasty (highly
viscous), the gases cannot escape and they build up tremendous pressure (like a shaken soda bottle)
causing the volcano to erupt/explode violently forming volcanic ash, dust, pumice, etc., and lava.