TYPES OF ERUPTION

Volcanoes erupt differently. They are generally classified as wet or dry depending on the
magma’s water content. Volcanoes are described according to the style of eruption as
follows:

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 or a larger eruption.

Phreatomagmatic
Is a violent reaction due to the contact between water and
magma. As a result, a large column of very fine ash and
high-speed and sideways emission of pyroclastic called base
surges are observed.

Strombolian
A periodic weak to violent eruption characterized by
fountain lava. It is consisting of ejection of incandescent
cinders, lapilli, and lava bombs, to altitude of tens to a few
hundreds of meters.

Vulcanian
It is characterized by telling eruption columns that reach up
to 20km high with pyroclastic flow and ash fall tephra. They
usually commence with phreatomagmatic eruptions which
can be extremely noisy due to the rising of magma and
heating of water in the ground.

Plinian or Versuvian
Excessively explosive type of eruption of gas ang
pyroclastic. It produces a sustained convicting plumes of
pyro clasts ang the gas is rising more than 25km above sea
level.