Volcanoes

A volcano is an opening, or rupture, in a planet’s surface or crust, which allows hot magna, volcanic ash and gases
to escape from below the surface.

Erupting volcanoes can pose many hazards, not only in the immediate vicinity of the eruptions. Large eruptions can
affect temperature as ash and droplets of sulfuric acid obscure the sun and cool the Earth’s lower atmosphere or
troposphere; however, they also absorb heat radiated up from the Earth

Popular classification of volcanoes

Classifying volcanoes most often refers to their life cycle (active, dormant or extinct). Volcanoes can also be
classified by type, that is, the structure and composition of the volcano (strato, conical and shield). Volcanoes can
also be classified as to the kind of eruption they produce (explosive or quiet).

Volcanic features
The structure and behavior of volcanoes depends on a number of factors. Some volcanoes have rugged peaks
formed by lava domes rather than a summit crater, whereas other present landscape features such as massive
plateaus.

Fissure vent Lava dome

Flat, linear cracks through which lava emerges Build by slow eruptions of highly viscous lavas

Shield volcano Can produce violent, explosive eruptions

Low and broad
Strato-volcano
Low-viscosity lava that can flow a great distance Tall conical mountains composed of lava flows and
other ejecta
Don’t generally explode catastrophically
Greatest hazard to civilization

Components of a volcanic eruption

Airborne Earthbound

Ash Lava
Gases and steam Scoria
Pyroclast Tephra
Scoria
Figure 1- Volcanic ejecta by type
Deadliest1 volcanic eruptions
Volcanic eruptions can be highly explosive, volatile, or neither. Certain volcanoes have undergone catastrophic eruptions, killing countless numbers of people.

Ran Event Location Date Death toll Type

k
1 Mount Tambora Sumbawa, Indonesia April 10, 1815 92,000 Strato-volcano
2 Krakatoa Krakatoa, Indonesia August 26-27, 1883 36,000 Caldera
3 Mount Vesuvius Naples, Italy August 25, 79 AD 33,000 Somma
4 Mount Pelee Martinique, Lesser Antilles May 8, 1902 29,000 Strato-volcano
5 Mount Unzen Kyushu, Japan 1792 15,000 Strato-volcano
6 Mount Kelut East Java, Indonesia 1586 10,000 Strato-volcano
7 Laki Iceland June 8, 1783 9,350 Fissure Events
8 Santa Maria Quetzaltenango, 1902 6,000 Strato-volcano
Guatemala
9 Mount Kelut East Java, Indonesia May 19, 1919 5,115 Strato-volcano
10 Nevado del RuizCaldas/Tomila, Columbia November 13, 1985 23,000 Strato-
volcano
Table 1- Volcanoes from tinhoccong.com

Super-volcano: the great devastator

A super-volcano is a large volcano that usually has a large caldera and can potentially produce devastation on an enormous,
sometimes continental, scale. Such eruptions would be able to cause severe cooling of global temperatures for many years
afterwards because of the hugh volumes of sulfur and ash erupted. They are the most dangerous type of volcano. Examples
include Yellowstone Caldera in Yellowstone National Park and Valles Caldera in New Mexico (both western United States, Lake
Taupo in New Zealand, Lake Toba in Sumatra, Indonesia and Ngorogoro Crater in Tanzania, Krakatoa near Java and Sumatra,
Indonesia.

Living with volcanoes

There are about 1500 active volcanoes in the world and around 50 of these erupt each year.

Most volcanoes live many thousands of years and erupt many times. However, most don't erupt even once in a human lifespan.

An example of an active volcano is Mount St. Helens in the United States (http://tinhoccong.com)

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It is estimated that 500 million people live at the moment of active volcanoes.

It is estimated that 500 million people live at the

moment of active volcanoes