EOSC 114 Natural Disasters

Volcanoes
with
Lindsey Abdale

LABDALE@EOAS.UBC.CA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_LNy_SZ0Y8
• Lecture 1 - Volcanology Overview

• Lecture 2 - Types of volcanoes & eruptions

• Lecture 3 – Volcanic Explosivity

• Lecture 4 – Volcanic Hazards

• Lecture 5 - Volcano monitoring and predicting eruptions

 Learning Goals
① Provide some examples of why studying volcanoes is important and
fascinating
② Create and label a diagram illustrating the 4 regions of a complete
volcanic system and attribute any appropriate photograph of real
geologic features to one of those regions
③ Given either an effusive or explosive eruption, predict the relative
(high, medium, low) values of the 5 main properties of the magma and
justify your predictions
④ Name and describe the differences and similarities between 4 types of
magma and the resulting rock types
⑤ Identify in photographs whether a lava is pahoehoe or a’a, and
describe the similarities and differences in their properties.
 Some volcanoes are more
dangerous than others

EOSC 114: Natural Disasters

EOSC 114: Natural Disasters
 Which of these volcanoes is more hazardous?

A B
Why do we study volcanoes?

pc: Karim Kelfoun

Why do we study volcanoes?

K. Hodge 2012
 Why do we study volcanoes?

K. Hodge 2012
Why do we study volcanoes?

D. Weis 2015
 Have you ever seen a volcano?

a) Yes

b) No

c) What is a volcano??

What volcanoes have you seen – where are they and are
they active?
 Have you ever seen a volcano?

a) Yes

b) No

c) What is a volcano??
What are volcanoes?

Volcanoes form where

magma and gas leak
out from the Earth’s
crust and mantle.
How do volcanoes form?

Magma, created by melting

pre-existing rock below the
Earth’s surface, reaches the
surface through fractures
and extrudes as lava or
explodes as pyroclastic
material.
 Are all igneous rocks (rocks that formed by crystallizing
from a magma) volcanic?

A. YES

B. NO

C. Not sure
 Magma vs. Lava
²Magma melted rock in the Earth --below the Earth’s
surface. melt + crystals + bubbles

²Lava melted rock exposed at the Earth’s surface.

melt + crystals + bubbles
 What is the key difference between magma
and lava?
A. Magma is hotter than lava

B. Magma is under the ground and lava is on the surface

C. Magma is more viscous than lava

D. Magma is more explosive than lava

 The Volcanic Eruption Region
System
Storage Region

Transport Region

Source Region

Courtesy B. Edwards
 Source Region
Usually deep and
hot
Courtesy B. Edwards
Source Region

Mantle (Peridotite) Magma (Basalticàgranitic)

[3300 kg/m3] [2700-2500 kg/m3]

MELTING
 Transport Region
The Crust

Courtesy B. Edwards
Transport Region: Magma pathways
Magma moves along
cracks in the Earth’s
crust—forming dikes
and sills.

dike
dike

older rocks

D. Weis 2009
Transport Region: Magma pathways
Magma moves along cracks in the Earth’s crust—forming
dikes and sills.

dike
older rock older rock

A. Bain
Dike vertical intrusion of magma

Sill horizontal intrusion of magma

A. Bain
 Storage Region
The Crust

Courtesy B. Edwards
 Storage Region: Magma Chamber
Magma ponds below the Earth’s surface in large chambers.

Yosemite, El Capitan - D. Weis 2016

 Eruptive Region
Surface –
Volcanoes!

Courtesy B. Edwards
Eruptive Region:
 more about magma…
When Volcanologists talk about magma, what
Magma density: physical properties are they interested in?
2.5-3.3 g/cm3

(water: 1 g/cm3)

Crust: 2.7-3.3 g/cm3

Mantle: 3.3-5.7 g/cm3
 more about magma…

Magma viscosity: 10-1015 Pa s (water: 10-3 Pa s)

- Resistance to FLOW
- Controls Flow, Eruption style
- Depends on Temperature, gas content, crystal
content

Low viscosity High viscosity

 more about magma…

Magma viscosity: 10-1015 Pa s (water: 10-3 Pa s)

- Resistance to FLOW
- Controls Flow, Eruption style
- Depends on Temperature, gas content, crystal
content

Low viscosity High viscosity

 more about magma…magmas cool
and crystallize to become igneous
rocks
Chemical composition: (high silica content vs. low silica content)

Felsic igneous rocks: 65-75% SiO2 2 cm

- light color
- Rich in K, Na, Al, Si
- High Viscosity (sticky)
- e.g. Granite, Rhyolite

Mafic igneous rocks: 45-55% SiO2

- dark color
2 cm
- Rich in Mg, Fe
- Low viscosity (runny)
- e.g. Basalt, Gabbro
 more about magma…

Magma Temperature: 600 – 1200 °C

In general:

Hot magma: low viscosity, low silica (mafic)

Cool magma: High viscosity, high silica (felsic)

As a magma cools – its viscosity increases, and it begins to crystallize

 more about magma…

Magma gas content: Volatiles

(dissolved gas: H2O, CO2, SO2)

Magma begins with <10% gas dissolved (H2O, CO2, SO2, Cl)
•Felsic: 4-6 wt.% dissolved volatiles
•Mafic: 0.1-1 wt.% dissolved volatiles
Magma RISES => Lower P => less solubility …

àBUBBLES!
 A crystal-rich lava will have a _______ viscosity and
_______ temperature than a crystal poor lava of the
same composition. :

A. Higher, lower.

B. Lower, higher.

C. Higher, higher.

D. Lower, lower.

pc: Karim Kelfoun

Where do igneous rocks form ?

Cooled at the surface

• Extrusive/Volcanic
• Small crystals/fine grained
• Rapid cooling

Cooled below the surface

• Intrusive/Plutonic
• Large crystals/course grained
• Slow cooling
Extrusive vs. Intrusive Rocks
Cooling rate is the most
important factor that
determines igneous
texture (grain size)
• Extrusive or volcanic → andesite
cool fast (days-months) →
fine-grained
• Intrusive or plutonic →
cool slow (102-5 yrs) →
coarser-grained

granite
Extrusive Rock types

Basalt Rhyolite

Dacite
Andesite
Magma composition and volcanic rock names:

Dark color ! Light color

Basalt ! Andesite ! Dacite ! Rhyolite
Magma composition and volcanic rock names:

Dark color ! Light color

Basalt ! Andesite ! Dacite ! Rhyolite
Mafic ! Intermediate ! Felsic
(less silica) ! (more silica)

Hot ! Cool
(1200-1400ºC) (600-1000ºC)
Magma composition and volcanic rock names:

Dark color ! Light color

Basalt ! Andesite ! Dacite ! Rhyolite
Mafic ! Intermediate ! Felsic
(less silica) ! (more silica)

Hot ! Cool
(1200-1400ºC) (600-1000ºC)

low viscosity ! high viscosity

NON-EXPLOSIVE (lava) EXPLOSIVE (ash)
Viscosity matters!
Depends onPahoehoe
Temperature, gas
content, crystal content
Aa lava

Pahoehoe lava Aa lava

Both lavas have the same composition

(basalt), but flow very differently
Pahoehoe

A’a

Mauna Loa slope, Hawaii - D. Weis 2009

 What type of magma will produce the
MOST explosive eruptions?

A. rhyolite
B. basalt
C. dacite
D. andesite
Explosivity

Mafic magma: Felsic magma:

low gas content + low viscosity = effusive High gas content + high viscosity =
eruptions explosive eruptions
Interesting Videos

Mafic lava lake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egEGaBXG3Kg&feature=related

Felsic lava dome

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=Cvjwt9nnwXY
• Lecture 1 - Volcanology Overview

• Lecture 2 - Types of volcanoes & eruptions

• Lecture 3 – Volcanic Explosivity

• Lecture 4 – Volcanic Hazards

• Lecture 5 - Volcano monitoring and predicting eruptions