VOLCANO

- A weak spot or point on the earth’s crust where magma forces its way to the surface.
- Ash and gases may also escape.

WHERE DO THEY OCCUR?

- On subduction - On constructive - On hot spot

zones plate boundaries

STRUCTURE OF AN ACTIVE VOLCANO

Crater: the depression at the top of a volcano

Vent: Location where magma escapes from the volcano.

Lava Pipe: Connects the vent to the Magma Chamber

Magma Chamber: the source of magma for a volcano

Lava Necks: The remains of the lava pipe of an ancient volcano.

WHY DO WE HAVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF VOLCANOES?

• The process of magma formation is different at each type of plate boundary.

• Therefore, the composition of magma differs in each tectonic setting.

• Tectonic settings determine the types of volcanoes that form and the types of
eruptions that take place.

Batholith: When the main magma chamber stops receiving heat from the earth's interior
it becomes a solid igneous rock.
 Laccoliths: Form when magma fills chambers near the surface, but to the side of a
volcano.

TYPES OF VOLCANO

Shield volcano: (Basaltic) usually form at hot spots, from non explosive eruptions.

• Runny lava, very wide, not steep, biggest type of volcano (Mauna Kea)

Cinder cone volcano: form from explosive eruptions, very steep.

• Smallest type of volcano, most common, made of pyroclastic materials, large

crater, isolated conical mound of tephra

• Angle of repose: the natural maximum angle that a pile of loose,

unconsolidated material will form.

Composite volcano: form from both explosive and non explosive eruptions.

• Eruptions alternate between explosive and non-explosive.

Stratovolcanoes: alternate between periods of lava flows (constructive phase) and

periods of explosive eruptions (destructive phase).

• Commonly called “composite volcanoes” because they are made up of both

lava and pyroclastic deposits.

Magma Chemical Temperature Viscosity Gas

Content
Type Composition (degrees C)

Basaltic 45-55% SiO2; 1000 - 1200 Low Low

(MAFIC) High in Fe, Mg, Ca; Low in K, Na.

50%
Magnesium, Iron

Andesitic 55-65% SiO2; 800-1000 Intermediate Intermediate

Intermediate Fe, Mg, Ca, Na, K

 Rhyolitic 65-75% SiO2; 650-800 High High

(FELSIC) Low in Fe, Mg, Ca; High in K, Na.

70%
Feldspar, Silica

TYPES OF MAGMA

Viscosity: a measure of how easily a fluid flows. Water has a low viscosity,
molasses has a much higher viscosity.

SiO2 content controls the viscosity of a magma.

The greater the viscosity the more gas in the magma.

TWO TYPES OF LAVA

Aa: lava that is thick and sharp

• Blocky, rough lava flow. Due to high viscosity lava that flowed
pushing chunks of solid and semi-solid blocks.

Pahoehoe: lava that forms thin crust and wrinkles.

• Blocky, rough lava flow. Due to high viscosity lava that flowed
pushing chunks of solid and semi-solid blocks.

Lava tube: A tube formed by cooling and solidifying of the lava walls while
fluid lava continued to flow inside.

PYROCLASTIC MATERIALS

• Material that is thrown into the air during an explosion.

• Volcanic bombs: large blobs of • Ash: tephra that is finer than 2

magma that harden in the air. mm in diameter.

• Lapilli: pebble size rocks • Tuff: A deposit made up of

ash.
• Volcanic ash: tiny powder like
material • Welded tuff: A deposit of
pyroclastic material that was
 laid down while still very hot • Lahar: A water saturated slurry
and particles become fused of ash and other volcanic
together. debris that flows downslope.

• Ash fall: Fallout of very fine • Nuée Ardente (glowing cloud):

ash from the air. A hot, gaseous cloud of ash
that flows down slope.
• Ash flow: Pyroclastic debris
that flows downslope

MAIN TYPES OF ERUPTIONS

• Explosive: volcanoes that build enough pressure to blow its top, sending
pyroclastic material into the air.

• Non explosive: Build only enough pressure to allow lava to run down its
sides.

EXPLOSIVE NON EXPLOSIVE

• Felsic: means magma with high silica • Mafic: refers to rocks and magma rich
and feldspar content. in iron and magnesium.

• Felsic magma traps water and gas
bubbles, which leads to lots of
pressure.
• Silica acts like a cork
• This type of lava that is very runny.
• As magma nears the surface there is
little pressure, causing gasses escape
easily.

• Explosive eruptions are caused by a • Magma low in Silica have quiet

build up of high pressure. eruptions

• Convergent zones contain lots of water,

therefore have explosive eruptions.

TYPES OF VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS

1. Phreatic
is a stream-driven eruption as the hot rocks come in contact with water.
Short-lived
 Characterized by ash columns
Taal Volcano
2. Phreatomagmatic
Is a violent eruption due to the contact between water and magma.
large column of very fine ash and high-speed and sideway emission of pyroclastics
(base surges) are observed.
3. Strombolian
A periodic weak to violent eruption characterized by fountain lava.
Irazu Volcano in Costa Rica
4. Vulcanian
Characterized by tall eruption columns that reach up to 20km high with pyroclastic
flow and ash fall tephra.
Paricutin Volcano in Mexico
5. Plinian
Excessively explosive type of eruption of gas and pyroclastics.
Mt. Pinatubo in Zambales

Calderas

• Collapsed volcanoes

• Magma chamber has emptied and the ground has sunk

• Often becomes a lake

• New volcanoes can form, or pressure can build from below, lifting the ground

• If acidic, this can cause a catastrophic eruption in the form of a ”super-volcano”

Hot Spot: a point on the crust immediately above a hot plume within the mantle.
Rising mantle material termed a mantle plume.
Jeremiah 29:11