Lesson 3: Volcanic Eruptions Flashcards
Volcanoes are mostly found in what general area?
along convergent boundaries
The type of magma and consequent type of eruption of a volcano depends on what?
the tectonic setting it is formed.
the 3 types of magmas
basaltic:
andesitic;
and rhyolitic
Hot spot volcanoes in an oceanic setting
produce what type of magmas?
basaltic magma
Hot spot volcanoes in an continental setting
produce what type of magmas?
rhyolitic magma
how many percent of silica (SiO2) is in basalt?
48-52%
how many percent of silica (SiO2) is in andesite/dacite?
52-68%
how many percent of silica (SiO2) is in rhyolite?
68-77%
range of eruption temperature?
1,160 to 900 degrees C from basaltic to rhyolitic magma
describe the consistency of lava depending on the type of magma
low resistance to flow (thin, runny lava, less viscous) to high resistance to flow (thick, sticky, viscous), from basaltic to rhyolitic
relationship of lava mobility to temperature
directly proportional, decreasing mobility with decreasing temperature
depicts the sequence in which minerals crystallize from a magma (magma evolution)
Bowen’s reaction series
enumerate the Bowen’s reaction series
discontinuous
Olivine→pyroxene→amphibole→biotite mica
continuous plagioclase feldspar (Ca-rich to Na-rich)
Anorthite→bytownite→labradorite→andesine→oligoclase→albite
meet at
potassium feldspar→muscovite mica→quartz
is the process where the early-formed minerals are denser (heavier) than the liquid (melt) and sink toward the magma chamber
crystal settling
for crystal settling, when the remaining melt solidifies—either in place or in another location, if it migrates into fractures in the surrounding rocks, what happens?
it will form a rock with a mineralogy much different from the parent magma.
The formation of one or more secondary magmas from a single parent magma
magmatic differentiation
T or F: Magmatic differentiation, by itself, cannot account for the entire compositional spectrum of igneous rocks.
True
The composition of magma changes when some of the surrounding rock (country rock) may be incorporated to the upwelling magma
assimilation
occurs during the ascent of two chemically distinct magma bodies as the more buoyant mass overtakes the more slowly rising body
magma mixing
T or F: Minerals with the lowest melting temperatures are the last to melt.
False, Minerals with the lowest melting temperatures are the FIRST to melt
is the process that generates a magma that is nearer the felsic (granitic) end of the compositional spectrum than the parent rock from which it was derived.
partial melting
Most magma that erupts on the Earth’s surface is ______ in composition and has a temperature of ______
basaltic; 1000C to 1250C
Experiments show that under the high-pressure conditions calculated for the upper mantle, partial melting of the ultramafic rock _________ will yield a magma of _________composition.
peridotite; basaltic
Basaltic (mafic) magmas that originate from ________ of ________are called _______or _______ magmas because they have not yet evolved
partial melting; mantle rocks; primary; primitive
Partial melting that produces mantle-derived magmas may be triggered by a _________ during the process of ________
reduction in confining pressure; decompression melting
Basaltic magmas are also generated at ________, where water driven from the descending slab of oceanic crust promotes ________ of the mantle rocks that lie above.
subduction zones; partial melting
forms when a rising mantle-derived basaltic magma undergoes magmatic differentiation as it slowly makes its way through the continental crust.
andesitic magma
These evolved (changed) magmas are termed ?
secondary magmas
form when rising basaltic magmas assimilate crustal rocks that tend to be silica rich.
andesitic magmas
these magmas are mostly generated by the partial melting of continental crust.
granitic magmas
describe the occurrence of gases in magma
- gas molecules that form when minerals within a rock body begin to melt.
- These gases remain dissolved within the magma
- until the magma gets near the surface, where the decreased pressure allows the gases to escape
this is similar to how carbon dioxide (CO2) gas in a soda remains dissolved until the can is opened.
relationship of dissolved gas content to the explosiveness of volcanic eruptions
Higher content of dissolved gases within a magma will result to a more explosive volcanic eruption.
4 volcanic landforms
- lava flow
- lava dome
- continental flood basalt
- volcanoes
formed when lava eventually cools and solidifies into an igneous rock body
lava flow
are steep-sided mounds that were formed from viscous lava (rhyolitic lava); can act like a plug when it begins to solidify and thus allow pressure to build in the magma chamber and result in a more explosive eruption.
lava dome
formed when large volumes of basaltic lava will flow onto the surface along large fracture zones.
Continental flood basalt
an accumulation of extrusive materials around a vent (sometimes a fault or fracture) through which lava, gas, or pyroclastics are ejected.
volcanoes