Volcanoes

VOLCANOES

BIG Questions
1 – What plate settings do
2 - Volcanoes
volcanoes aren’t
occur at? equally
dangerous....
how do their hazards differ, and
why?
 Volcano
• an opening in a planet's
crust, which allows hot molten rock,
ash, and gases to escape from
below the surface.
 Ash
What comes out of a volcano?
 Gas
What comes out of a volcano?

Most common:
H2O
CO2
SO2
HCl
What comes out of a volcano?
Lava
So...Why are there different
types of Volcanoes

• Viscosity of the magma controls the type of

volcano.
• Viscosity – a liquid’s resistance to flow
• Low viscosity – flows easily
• High viscosity – flows slowly
• Viscosity is controlled by the composition
and temperature of the magma.

• Silica (SiO ) content controls viscosity.

2
• Basaltic
• Andesitic
• Rhyolitic
 Viscosity and Silica
content
Compositi Magma Viscosity Gas % Silica % Explosive Location
on Source ness

Basaltic Upper Low 1-2 % ~ 50 % Least / Divergent

Mantle Mild Boundarie
s and Hot
Spots
Andesitic Ocean Medium - 3-4 % ~ 60 % Intermedi Convergen
Crust & High ate t
Sediments Subductio
n Zones
Rhyolitic Continent High - 4-6 % ~ 70 % Greatest Convergen
al Crust Extreme t
Subductio
n Zones

High silica = high viscosity = explosive eruption

Low silica = low viscosity = quiet eruption
 Shape

• Shapes of volcanoes are due to the

viscosity of the magma.
• Runny lava forms relatively flat shield
volcanoes with quite eruptions.
• Thick lava forms steep cones with explosive
eruptions.
 Explosiveness

Explosiveness of the volcano

is controlled by
- the silica content of the magma
- the viscosity of the magma
- the release of gases
 Types of Eruptions
Quiet “runny”
Plate Setting: Divergent Boundaries
and Hot Spots
Type of Volcano: Shield volcanoes
Type of Magma: Basaltic composition

Explosive “clogged”
Plate Setting: Convergent Boundary Subduction Zones
Type of Volcano: Composite volcanoes and Cinder Cones
Type of Magma: Andesitic or Rhyolitic composition
 Quiet Eruptions
• Magma flows easily
• Gasses bubble out gently
 Plate Setting: Divergent Boundary

Divergent boundary volcanoes have very low viscous magma

and non-explosive eruptions
 Plate Setting: Hot Spot

Hot spot volcanoes form when mantle plumes rise

through the crust like a blow torch
Characterized by low viscous magma and non-explosive
eruptions
 Type of Volcano:
Shield

•Usually start under water

•resembles a Roman shield lying on the ground
•characterized by relatively quiet eruptions with lava
flows that harden on top of each other
 Type of Magma: Basaltic
• runny, low viscosity lava

• relatively little explosive activity

Examples:
- Hawaiian Islands
- Iceland
Kilauea, Hawaii: A typical shield volcano
 Basaltic eruptions produce 2 types of lava

oehoe – hot, fast moving lava. Surface looks li

wrinkles and rope-like coils
Pahoehoe Lava
Pahoehoe Lava
 Basaltic eruptions produce 2 types of lava

cooler, slow moving lava. Hardens to form roug

jagged lava chunks
Anatomy of a Shield Volcano
 Explosive Eruptions

• Magma is thick and “sticky”

• Magma slowly builds up in the volcano's pipe
• Gasses cannot easily escape from the magma
• Trapped gasses build up pressure until the
volcano explodes

• More dangerous and

pyroclastic flows
have more hazards such as
 Pyroclastic Flows

• Pyroclastic flows - fast-moving hot

gas and rock fragments which travel
away from the volcano

• speeds generally as great as 450

miles/hr

• Can reach temperatures of 1,830 °F

 Plate Setting: Convergent Boundary
Explosive volcanoes form at convergent
subduction zones and have highly viscous
magma
 Type of Volcano: Cinder Cone

• relatively small (less than 300 m or 1000 ft high)

• relatively steep slopes (30 - 40 degrees)
• made of pyroclastic material
Type Of Magma: Andesitic

- high silica content

- highly viscous magma
- explosive eruptions

Examples
- Paracutin, in Mexico
Anatomy of a Cinder Cone
Type of Volcano: Composite

• large (1 - 10 km across)
• Also called a Stratovolcano
• layered structure, consisting of alternating
layers of lava and pyroclastic material

• These volcanoes make up the largest

percentage of the Earth's volcanoes (about
60%)
Type Of Magma: Rhyolitic
- high silica content
- highly viscous
- explosive eruptions

Examples:
Mt. Vesuvius,
Mt. St. Helens and
Mt. Rainier in the Cascade
Range
Mt. St. Helens: Before the 1980 eruption
Mt. St. Helens after its 1980 eruption
Anatomy of a Composite Volcano

Pyroclastic
flow
 Status of a Volcano

• Active – currently erupting or

showing signs of an imminent
eruption. Risk is high

• Dormant – does not show signs of an

erupting in the near future or has
not erupted in the recent past

• Extinct – unlikely to ever erupt

again
 Signs a volcano is about to
erupt

When a volcano begins to show new or

unusual signs of activity, it is
possible it is about to erupt

• Increased Earthquake Activity

• Ground Deformation
• Change in water composition
• Gas emissions
• Monitoring from space
Volcanic Hazards
 Volcanic Hazards

• Lava flows

• Ash fall

• Pyroclastic flows

• Mudflows

• Volcanic Gases

• Tsunami
Volcanic Hazards
Volcanic Hazards
 Volcanic Hazards

Volcano Hazards program

•
http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/alertsystem/icons.php
•