Science Reviewer

3rd Quarter
Topic Outline:
 Volcanoes  Constellations

- Types of Volcanoes - Characteristics of stars

- Volcanic eruption - Arrangement of stars

- Benefits of volcanoes - Changing positions of stars

- Beliefs and practices
 Climate
- Factors affecting climate.
- Climate change

Chapter 1:

The Philippines is located along the Ring of Fire. As a result, it is a home to many volcanoes. The most
famous among our volcanoes is the Mayon Volcano that has erupted last May 7, 2013, while a group of hikers
were exploring its beauty.

 Volcanoes – refers to an opening or vent in a planet’s crust from which molten rock, ash (pulverized
rock and pumice) and gases below escape.

Types of Volcanoes: based on adaptation of PHIVOLCS.

 Active - are those that have a record of eruption within the last 600 years or those that erupted 10, 000
years ago based on analyses of their materials.
 Inactive - are those that have not erupted for the last 10, 000 years and their physical form is being
changed by agents of weathering and erosion through formation of deep and long gullies.

According to PHIVOLCS, our country has more than a hundred volcanoes as of 2013. Twenty-three are
active while the rest are inactive.

External Parts of Volcanoes:

 Summit - an opening which may either be a crater or a

caldera.
- crater is a funnel-shaped opening at the top of a volcano.
- caldera is formed when a part of the wall collapses
following an explosive eruption.
  Slope -  is related to the physical characteristics of the material composing the surface. The very low
viscosity of basaltic magma produces very gentle slopes, and this is characteristic of the shape of a
shield volcano.
 Magma Chamber / base - A magma chamber is a large underground pool of molten rock sitting
underneath the Earth's crust. The molten rock in such a chamber is under extreme pressure, which in
time can lead to the surrounding rock fracturing, creating outlets for the magma.

o The viscosity of magma decreases with temperature. The higher the temperature of magma is, the lower is
its viscosity. As lava flows, it cools and begins to harden, its ability to flow decreases and eventually it
stops. The composition of magma affects its viscosity.
o Magmas with high silica content are more viscous than those with low silica content. The magma that
contains less silica is relatively fluid and travels far before solidifying.
o Lastly, the amount of gases contained in the magma affects its viscosity. Other factors being equal, gas
(mainly water vapor) dissolved in magma tends to increase its ability to flow. Therefore, in near-surface
environments, the loss of gases makes magma more viscous, forming a dome or a columnar.
o Lava with less silica content has low viscosity that it can travel a great distance, forming a thin sheet.
Lava with high silica content is too viscous to travel far and tends to break up as it flows.
o Lava with low amount of gas and high silica content is very viscous and does not flow out at all as it rises
forming, a columnar plug in the vent. Lava with low amount of gas as it rises has high viscosity that it piles
up at a vent resulting in a dome.

Viscous magma Less viscous magma

- Lost gas in near surface areas. Low
amount of gas.
- Does not travel far and tend to break up as
it flows.
- Has high silica content.
- Low temperature
- Gas dissolved in magma tends to increase
its ability to flow. Has high amount of gas.
- Travels a great distance.
- Has low silica content.
- High temperature

Types of Volcanoes: based on frequency of eruption

 Active volcanoes – volcanoes are actually erupting or at least show unusual signs of activity like
earthquakes and gas emissions.
- Are those that have a record of eruption within the last 600 years or those that erupted 10,000 years
ago based on analysis of materials.
  Inactive volcanoes – are volcanoes that are not actually erupting or showing any unusual signs of
activity.
- Are those that have not erupted for the past 10,000 years and their physical form is being changed by
agents of weathering and erosion through formation of deep and long gullies.

Types of Volcanoes: based on features:

 Composite or stratovolcano – a tall mountain with a crater on top

from which pyroclastic materials, gases, and lava escape.
- Its height is explained by the volcanic materials that eventually
cool and harden after eruption, piling on top of another with
subsequent eruptions.
- Its magma has a high content of silica, making the lava thick or
viscous and capable of reaching heights.
- Usually forms on destructive or convergent plates (continental and oceanic), its magma chamber is
collected at the bottom and erupts when gases or pressure is released from the melting of the dense
oceanic plate.
 Shield volcano – almost flat and broad like a warrior’s shield on the
ground.
- Its magma has a lower percentage of silica and is thus less
viscous.
- During eruption, its lava flows easily and reaches a great
distance from the crater.
- Mauna Loa and Kilauea and other Hawaiian volcanoes are
examples.
- Forms at constructive or divergent boundaries (oceanic plates) which mostly form submarine
volcanoes when they move apart causing a gap which serves as a path for the magma underneath to
go upwards and erupt.
 Cinder cones – are usually small.
- Are made up of pyro clasts or fragments of volcanic rocks
that form steep slopes around their wide crater.
- They often form in groups near a large volcano. Most of
them erupt only once. A well-known example is Paricutin
from Mexico. In the Philippines, Jolo in the Sulu
Archipelago is an island volcano. It has numerous cinder
cones.
 - Forms at hotspots (usually erupt only 1 time), when hotspots are active, they melt through the crust
forming a volcano.

Types of Volcanoes: based on location

 Continental
 Submarine
 Subglacial

Types of Volcanic Eruptions:

 Phreatic or hydrothermal – is a stream-driven eruption as the hot rocks come in contact with water. It
is short lived, characterized by ash columns but may be an onset of a larger eruption.
 Phreatomagmatic – is a violent reaction due to contact of magma and water. As a result, a high column
of very fine ash and high-speed sideway emission of pyroclastic called base surges are observed.
 Strombolian – a periodic weak to violent eruption characterized by a fountain of lava.
 Vulcanian – characterized by tall eruption columns that reach up to 20 km high with pyroclastic flow
and ashfall tephra.
 Plinian – excessively explosive type of eruption of gas and pyroclastic.

Lithosphere – earth’s crust and upper mantle. It is broken into slabs called tectonic plates to make up the
surface of the earth.

How do volcanoes form?

Destructive or convergent plate volcanoes – involves the oceanic and continental plate. A volcano is formed
when these 2 tectonic plates move towards each other, causing the dense oceanic plate to melt in the mantle
releasing gas which goes through the crust and into the magma chamber at the bottom of the volcano.

Constructive or divergent plate volcanoes - The two oceanic plates move apart slowly but overtime this
allows extremely hot magma to rise up from deep within the planet. Magma rises and fills the gaps created by
the plates moving away from each other, eventually a new crust is formed. Magma at the margin can sometimes
explode through this new crust creating a volcanic eruption. Since 1850, about 90% of the 16 most powerful
volcanic eruptions occurred within the Pacific Ring of Fire. An example of these are mount Bromo in
Indonesia, Mount Sakurajima in Japan and Mount Reventador in Ecuador.

Hotspot volcanoes - Form when rising magma from deep within the planet melts through the tectonic plates
above and begins to build up.
  Magma – is an important material in volcanic activity. The type of magma determined the type of
eruption and the type of cone it forms.

Property Basaltic Andesitic Granitic

Silica content Least about 50% Intermediate about 60% Highest about 70%

Viscosity Least Intermediate Highest

Tendency to form lava Highest Intermediate Least

Tendency to form Least Intermediate Highest

pyroclastic materials

Parts of volcano: summit, slope, base

Benefits of volcano:

1. The soil surrounding a volcano is very fertile.

- Every eruption brings an amount of nutrients to the soil through breakdown and chemical
decomposition of rocks called weathering.
- Weathering is the breakdown of rocks at the earth’s surface, by the action of rainwater, extremes of
temperature and biological activity.

2. Formation of new islands

- Submarine volcanoes in relatively shallow waters, after several explosions can form new islands.

3. Widening of nearby shorelines

- Continental volcanoes close to shore widen the land when their lava flow reaches the shore and
hardens through sea water.

4. Small enterprise from the debris and ashes of volcanic eruptions.

5. New scenery and land formation.
6. Soothing and energizing effect of water from hot springs.
 Energy form volcanoes

 Volcanic areas serve as a resource for production of geothermal and heat energy from within the earth.
 Geothermal energy is the heat from the interior of the earth.

It can be generated into 2 ways:

1. Geothermal powerplants
2. Geothermal heat pumps

Geothermal powerplants in the Philippines:

 Tiwi Geothermal Powerplant, Tiwi, Albay

 Mak-Ban Geothermal Powerplant in Calawag, Laguna
 Palinpinion Geothermal Powerplant in Valencia, Negros Oriental
 Bac-Man Geothermal Powerplant in Bacon, Sorsogon

Steps in Generating Electricity from geothermal power plant:

1. Wells are drilled deep into the earth to pump steam or how water to the surface.
2. When the water reaches the surface, the drop in pressure causes the water to turn into steam.
3. The steam turns a turbine, which is connected to a generator that produces electricity.
4. Cooling water cools the steam, and which condenses back to water.
5. The cooled water is pumped back into the earth to begin the process again.