Volcanic Impacts

Question 1

What are the primary impacts of a volcanic eruption?

Answer 1

• Tephra
• Pyroclastic flows
• Lava flows
• Volcanic gases

Question 2

What is a tephra?

Answer 2

Solid material of varying grains size ranging from volcanic bombs to ash, all ejected into the atmosphere.

Question 3

What is a pyroclastic flow?

Answer 3

Also know as nudee ardentes.
They are very hot (over 800℃) gas charged, high velocity flows made up of a mixture of gas and tephra. Theses usually hug the ground and flow down the sides of the volcano with speeds up to 700km.

Question 4

What are volcanic gases?

Answer 4

Include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide and chlorine. in 1986, carbon dioxide emissions from the lake in Nyos (Cameroon) killed 1,700 people.

Question 5

What are the secondary impacts of a volcanic eruption?

Answer 5

• Lahars
• Flooding
• Volcanic landslides
• Tsunamis
• Acid rain
• Climate change

Question 6

What are lahars?

Answer 6

Volcanic mudflows - melted ice and snow, joined with volcanic ash form mudflows that can move down the course of the valley at high speeds.

Question 7

How does flooding occur as a result of a volcanic eruption?

Answer 7

Eruptions can melt glaciers and ice caps, causing flooding.

Question 8

How do volcanic eruptions cause tsunamis?

Answer 8

Violent volcanic activity in the sea can result in tsunamis as sea waves are generated by the eruptions.

Question 9

How does acid rain form from volcanic eruptions?

Answer 9

The volcanic eruption emits gases which produce sulfur, when this combines with atmospheric moisture acid rain forms.

Question 10

How do volcanic eruptions cause climate change?

Answer 10

The ejection of huge amounts of volcanic debris into the atmosphere can reduce the global temperatures.