Volcanoes are widely distributed over the earth, but they are more abundant in certain belts.

One such
belt encircles the Pacific ocean and includes many of the islands in it. Other volcanic areas are the island
of West Indies, those of the West coast of Africa, the Mediterranean region and Iceland.

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Most volcanoes occur around or near the margins of the continents and so these areas re regarded as
weak zones of the earth’s crust where lavas can readily work their way upward. There are over 400
active volcanoes and many more inactive ones. Numerous submarine volcanoes also exist.

Since it is not possible to examine the magma reservoir which fees a volcano our information must be
obtained by studying the material ejected by the volcano. This material consists of three kinds of
products, viz. liquid lava, fragmented pyroclasts and gases. There may exist a special problem in studying
the gases, both in collecting them under hazardous conditions or impossible conditions.

It may also be difficult to ascertain that the gases collected are true volcanic gases and are not
contaminated with atmospheric gases. Investigation of the composition of extruded rock leads to a
general, although not very detailed, correlation between composition and intensity of volcanic eruption.

In general, the quite eruptions are characteristic of those volcanoes which emit basic or basaltic lavas,
whereas the violent eruptions are characteristic of volcanoes emitting more silicic rocks.

Essay # 3. Formation of Volcanoes:

The term volcano is used to mean both the opening in the earth’s crust, i.e. the vent through which the
eruption of magma occurs as well as the hill built- up by the erupted material. Volcanoes occur where
the cracks in the earth’s crust lead to the magma chamber.

The liquid magma which is lighter than the surrounding rocks is under high pressure is pushed up
towards the surface through these cracks. In this process the gases dissolved in the magma which
expand are released providing an upward push to the magma.