VOLCANO

Eruption

◦ If a magma reaches the earth’s surface, it breaks through

an opening, which is a weak spot in the earth’s crust.
◦ Without such eruptions or releases, a magma in the earth’s
mantle will pile up and the earth will explode.
Eruption

◦ Eruption refers to any manner of expelling magma, not

necessarily violent.
◦ Eruption may be slow and quiet
◦ Molten rock may simply flow out of cracks and rifts.
◦ The release of magma at the surface may be sudden and
explosive.
Volcano

◦ The opening or crack through which the magma is

violently ejected from the interior of the earth is called a
volcano.
◦ Explosive, violent eruptions are often accompanied by
fiery materials, glowing molten rocks, smoke, and gases.
◦ Vulcan – Roman god of fire
Lava

◦ Magma that has reached the surface

◦ Magma eventually comes out of the surface and hardens
into a rock.
Mode of eruption

◦ It can range from quiescent to extremely violent

◦ Depends on the composition of the magma, the amount of
water present, and the amount of gases present.
◦ As magma gets to the surface, the pressure is greatly
reduced. Dissolved gases come out as bubbles, bubbles
expand very fast and explode.
Location of Eruption

◦ Along divergent plate boundaries

◦ Near convergent plate boundaries
◦ Hot spots
Eruptions at Divergent Plate Boundaries

◦ Plates spread apart creating gaps

or rifts between them.
◦ Magma oozes out of the rifts.
◦ Rift eruptions flow out smoothly
and quietly because lava is mafic
or basaltic which contains few
gases.
Eruptions at Divergent Plate Boundaries

◦ Spreading rifts on the ocean bottom

are located in the middle of oceans
and are called spreading centers.
◦ Mid-Atlantic ridge
◦ On land, rift eruptions spread over a
very large are forming a basalt
plateau.
Eruptions at Convergent Plate Boundaries

◦ Convergent plate boundaries –

plates collide, the plate with the
greater density sinks (or
subducts) beneath the lighter
plate.
◦ Subduction zone – where a
plates sinks beneath another
plate.
Eruptions at Convergent Plate Boundaries

◦ Subduction zone – generates

intense heat that melts a rock.
Magma in this zone is thick
and contains a large amounts
of gases, thus, eruptions are
explosive.
Eruptions at Convergent Plate Boundaries

◦ Most of the world’s active and

famous volcanoes are found at
subduction zones.
Eruptions at Hot Spots

◦ Volcanic activities also occur in

the middle of large lithospheric
plates.
◦ The magmas underneath a
tectonic plate push through from
the bottom of the plate to the
surface, where hot magmas are
shot out (hot spots).
Eruptions at Hot Spots

◦ Hot spot lava forms cones

which are wide with gentle
slopes.
◦ Cones start building up from
the ocean floor until they rise
above the ocean surface as a
volcanic island.
Eruptions at Hot Spots

◦ The Hawaiian Islands are a

chain of volcanic islands
formed by hot spots.