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KEY CONCEPT

Volcanoes affect Earth’s


land, air, and water.
BEFORE, you learned NOW, you will learn
• Rock fragments, lava, and • How volcanic eruptions affect
gases erupt from volcanoes Earth’s surface
• Some volcanoes have explosive • How volcanic gases affect the
eruptions atmosphere
• How volcanic activity affects
water

VOCABULARY THINK ABOUT


acid rain p. 276
Which volcano is more
geyser p. 277
dangerous?
Mauna Loa is a shield volcano that forms
a large part of the island of Hawaii. It is
Mauna Loa
one of the most active volcanoes on
Earth, frequently producing large
amounts of lava that flow long distances.
Mount Shasta is a composite volcano in
California. It has erupted at least once
every 600 to 800 years for the past 10,000
years. Mount Shasta can erupt with Mount Shasta
devastating violence. Which volcano do
you think it is more dangerous to live
near. Why?

CONTENT FRAME Volcanic eruptions affect the land.


Add a content frame for
how eruptions affect Earth’s A volcanic eruption can knock down forests and clog rivers with
land and air. Include volcanic ash. Damage can occur far from the volcano. But volcanoes
categories for what dangers
are caused and how long build as well as destroy. Material erupted from volcanoes can form
the dangers last. new land. Over time, lava flows can form new, rich soil.
Many towns and cities are located close to volcanoes. The people
of Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo experienced
an eruption of a nearby volcano in 2002. A lava flow cut the city in half
and destroyed the homes of tens of thousands of people, either by
flowing into the homes or by starting fires. Hilo (HEE-loh), the largest
city on the island of Hawaii, is built in part on young lava flows. The
city is at high risk from future volcanic activity.

272 Unit 2: The Changing Earth


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Immediate Effects Lava Flow


The effects of a volcanic eruption largely depend
on how much material and what types of material
the volcano ejects. Near a volcano, lava flows can
cover the land with new rock. A much larger
area can be affected by events such as ash falls,
landslides, mudflows, pyroclastic flows, and steam
explosions.
Lava Flows Most lava moves slowly enough that
people can move away and not be hurt. But even a
slow-moving lava flow will knock down, cover, or
burn nearly everything in its path.
Volcanic Ash Near a volcanic eruption, the weight Trees catch fire as a lava flow moves
through a forest in Hawaii in 1999.
of fallen volcanic ash can cause the roofs of
buildings to collapse. Volcanic ash is heavy because
it is made of tiny pieces of rock. Ash makes roads Volcanic Ash
slippery, and it clogs up machinery, including cars
and airplanes. Large amounts of falling ash can
suffocate plants, animals, and people.
Mudflows Mudflows are landslides that occur
when loose rocks and soil are mixed with water.
Heat from an eruption melts any ice and snow on
the volcano very quickly. Mudflows form as the
water mixes with volcanic ash and other loose
particles. Mudflows also form as ash mixes into
rivers flowing from a volcano. Fast-moving
mudflows have buried entire towns tens of
kilometers from an eruption. Large piles of volcanic ash from the 1991
eruption of Mt. Pinatubo line a street in
Pyroclastic flows As a pyroclastic flow rushes Olongapo, Philippines, at the start of
downhill, it can knock down or burn everything in the cleanup effort.
its way. Pyroclastic flows tend to follow valleys.
However, a particularly fast-moving flow can
sweep up and over hills, then race down a neighboring valley. As a
flow passes, it can leave a thick layer of volcanic rock fragments.
Pyroclastic flows are extremely dangerous. In 1902, a pyroclastic flow
from an eruption in the West Indies completely destroyed the city of
Saint Pierre (SAYNT PEER). Almost 30,000 people were killed within a
few minutes.
Landslides Part of a volcano can collapse and start a landslide—
a rapid downhill movement of rock and soil. The collapse may be reminder

caused by magma moving underground, an eruption, an earthquake, A tsunami is a water wave


caused by an earthquake,
or even heavy rainfall. A landslide can cause a tsunami if a large a volcanic eruption, or a
amount of material falls into the ocean. landslide.

Chapter 8: Mountains and Volcanoes 273


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RESOURCE CENTER Steam Explosions Though relatively uncommon, steam explosions


CLASSZONE.COM can be devastating. They occur when magma comes near water or
Find out more about into contact with it. A steam explosion may have caused the destruction
the effects of volcanic
eruptions. of a volcanic island in Indonesia. The entire island of Krakatau
(KRACK-uh-TOW) exploded in 1883, causing a tsunami that destroyed
hundreds of towns and killed more than 36,000 people.
check your reading What are two ways a volcanic eruption can result in
damage to areas hundreds of kilometers away?

Long-term Effects
Volcanic eruptions can be tremendously destructive. But even after
an eruption ends, a volcano can remain dangerous for many years.
The explosive eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991 threw out huge
amounts of volcanic ash and rock fragments. The area the volcano is
in gets heavy rains each year. Mudflows
have formed as large amounts of rainwater
mixed with ash and other loose material on
the sides of the volcano. Since the eruption,
mudflows have destroyed the homes of
more than 100,000 people.
Another possible source of water for
mudflows was a lake that began filling
the volcano’s crater. The upper part of the
This school bus was partly buried by a mudflow from
Mount St. Helens. No one was in the bus when the crater is weak, and the lake level was rising.
mudflow hit. A collapse of the crater could have emptied
the lake of much of its water. In 2001,
people dug a channel to lower the level of the lake, greatly decreasing
the chance of a collapse.

check your reading Why can volcanic ash be dangerous for years after an eruption?

Even though volcanoes are dangerous, over time they can have
positive effects. When a lava flow cools, it forms a layer of hard rock
on which no plants can grow. However, over many years, this rock can
break down to form rich soil. Volcanic ash can smother plants, but the
tiny pieces of rock break down quickly and make soil richer. Highly
productive farmland surrounds some active volcanoes.
Over time, repeated volcanic eruptions can build a magnificent
landscape of mountains and valleys. People may choose to live in a
volcanic area in part for its natural beauty. Many other people may
visit the area, supporting a tourist industry.

274 Unit 2: The Changing Earth


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Mudflows
SKILL FOCUS
How does the shape of the land affect mudflows? Analyzing
PROCEDURE
1 Look at the map of Mount Rainier mudflows. Observe the relationship MATERIAL
Map of Mount
between the paths of rivers and the paths of the mudflows.
Rainier Mudflows
2 Write the number of towns shown within the boundaries of mudflow areas. TIME
3 Write the differences in elevation between the following locations: the top of 25 minutes
Mount Rainier and the point where the West Fork joins the White River, the
point where the rivers join and the town of Buckley, and the towns of Buckley
and Auburn. Where is the land steepest?
4 On the back of the paper, explain why in some areas mudflows have
followed rivers and in other areas mudflows have spread out.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?


• What three factors are most important in causing mudflows to
start near the top of Mount Rainier and flow long distances?
• How likely are future mudflows to follow the same paths as
earlier mudflows?

CHALLENGE The largest mudflow starting on Mount Rainier


moved at about 22 kilometers per hour (14 mi/h) and covered
the land to an average depth of 6 meters (20 ft). Describe the
steps you would take to protect people from a similar mudflow
in the same area.

Volcanic gases and ash affect the air.


If you visit a volcano, you might notice some unpleasant odors. These reading tip

odors come from gases released into the air from magma. Some of An element is a substance
these gases contain the element sulfur. Hydrogen sulfide gas smells that contains only one type
of atom.
like rotten eggs. Sulfur dioxide gas is what you smell when you strike a
match. The volcano might also be releasing carbon dioxide, a gas you
would not notice because it has no color or odor. Volcanoes release
gases before, during, and after eruptions.
Many gases from volcanoes are dangerous. They can make breathing
difficult and damage the lungs of people and animals. Carbon dioxide
can be fatal. In West Africa, a sudden release of carbon dioxide killed
1700 people in 1986. The gas came from a volcano at the bottom of a
lake. Carbon dioxide built up in the water until a large amount escaped
at once. Pipes are now being used to release carbon dioxide from the
bottom of the lake so that the gas will not build up again.

Chapter 8: Mountains and Volcanoes 275


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A cloud of hot gases and


ash rises high into the
atmosphere during an
eruption of Mount Etna
in Italy.

Some gases, such as sulfur dioxide, form acids when they mix
with water in the air. These acids fall to Earth’s surface in rain, snow,
VOCABULARY or sleet. Rain that contains large amounts of acid is called acid rain.
Make a word triangle for Volcanoes are sources of acid-forming gases, but a bigger source is
acid rain in your notebook.
human activity. For example, the burning of coal in electrical power
plants adds acid-forming gases to the air. In some areas, acid rain has
damaged forests and killed fish in lakes.
Large amounts of volcanic gases in the atmosphere can change
weather worldwide. The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo released
enough sulfur dioxide to form a haze high in the atmosphere around
the entire planet. The haze decreased the amount of sunlight reaching
Earth’s surface and lowered average world temperatures in 1992
and 1993.
Volcanic gases can lift ash high above an erupting volcano. Winds
can then carry the ash far away. During the May 1980 eruption
of Mount St. Helens, ash falling 400 kilometers (250 mi) away in
Spokane, Washington, blocked so much sunlight that nighttime street-
lights were turned on during the day. The smallest ash particles can
remain in the air for years, circling Earth many times. These particles
also reflect sunlight and can lower Earth’s temperature.

check your reading Describe two ways sulfur dioxide can affect the atmosphere.

Volcanic activity affects water.


Yellowstone National Park in the western United States is famous for
its hot springs—places where heated water flows to Earth’s surface.
Yellowstone is a volcanic region, and its hot springs sit in a huge
caldera. The springs’ heat comes from a hot spot under the North
American Plate.

276 Unit 2: The Changing Earth


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Geysers

Rainwater can sink through cracks in rock. If it is heated within Earth,


it can rise to form hot springs and geysers.

broken rock
Water collects
until it erupts.
Cold water
moves down.

Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone


Heated water rises. National Park erupts more often than
any other large geyser. Heated water
is forced up into the air through a
heat source narrow channel.

Hot Springs, Geysers, and Fumaroles


Most hot springs are in areas where magma or hot rock is near Earth’s
surface. Water moves down through the ground, gets heated, and rises
at a hot spring. At most hot springs, the water flows out into a calm
pool. But at a type of hot spring called a geyser, water shoots into the
air. A geyser forms where water collects in an underground chamber, CONTENT FRAME
then erupts through a narrow channel. Old Faithful, a geyser in Make a content frame for
features formed by heated
Yellowstone National Park, erupts every 35 minutes to 2 hours. Most water. Include categories
geysers erupt less predictably. for how they form and
where they form.
In addition to the United States, countries with many hot springs
and geysers include New Zealand and Iceland. Beneath Iceland, which
sits on an ocean spreading center, is magma that rises as plates pull
apart. People in Iceland use hot underground water as an energy
source to heat their capital city, Reykjavík (RAY-kyuh-VEEK).
A feature known as a fumarole (FYOO-muh-ROHL) is similar to a
hot spring. Instead of liquid water, though, a fumarole releases steam
and other gases. Changes in hot springs and fumaroles located on the
sides of a volcano can show that the volcano is becoming more active.
As magma moves close to the surface, water temperatures get higher,
and fumaroles can release more or different gases.

check your reading Why might fumaroles and hot springs be monitored?

Chapter 8: Mountains and Volcanoes 277


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Deep-Sea Vents
Deep-sea vents are hot springs that form at
spreading centers in the ocean. In these places,
the ocean floor has many cracks through which
cold seawater sinks to depths of several kilo-
meters. The sea water gets heated by hot rock and
magma, then rises again. The hot water coming
out of the ocean floor is rich in dissolved minerals
and gases from the rock and magma.
At some deep-sea vents, warm water flows
gently from cracks in the ocean floor. At others,
water at temperatures that can be higher than
350°C (660°F) shoots out of chimney-like vents.
The water looks black because it contains large
amounts of dissolved minerals. As the hot
water mixes with cold water, dissolved minerals
form into solid minerals again, building up
the vent chimneys.
This deep-sea vent is more Deep-sea vents support such unusual life forms as blind crabs
than 3 kilometers (2 mi)
below the surface of the
and tubeworms that measure up to 3 meters (10 ft) long. These
Atlantic Ocean. A black animals feed on one-celled organisms that get their energy from
cloud of mineral-rich chemicals in the vent water. Unlike other one-celled organisms, these
water rises from the vent.
organisms do not need sunlight to make their food.

check your reading Why do chimneys form around some deep-sea vents?

KEY CONCEPTS CRITICAL THINKING CHALLENGE


1. Describe how a heavy ash fall 4. Compare and Contrast 6. Analyze Ice in Greenland
from a volcanic eruption can What do geysers and deep-sea and Antarctica contains layers
affect Earth’s surface. vents that form chimneys have of ash from eruptions that
2. Describe how large amounts in common? How are they occurred many thousands of
of volcanic gases can affect different? years ago. How do you think
weather around Earth. 5. Evaluate Which is more the ash reached the ice, and
dangerous, a pyroclastic flow why is it preserved?
3. Why do hot springs occur in
volcanic areas? or a mudflow? Explain.

278 Unit 2: The Changing Earth

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