Volcanism Flashcards
What is a volcano?
Opening in the earth’s crust through which lava, volcanic ash, and gases escape
- Rupture (vent, fissure) in crust
What are the different styles of volcanism?
- Plate tectonic setting
- Type of magma
- Gas content
What area has majority of all volcanoes?
Ring of fire
Is there a direct link between volcanoes and plate tectonics?
Yes
what is being erupted from volcanoes?
rock types with differing silica (SiO2) content
- At mid-ocean ridges - Basalt
- Above hot spots - Basalt
- Subduction zones - Andesite
- Magma moving up through crust - Rhyolite
explain the 2 Basalt rocks composition
- A’a: rubble-like texture, higher viscosity
- Pahoehoe: smooth ropy texture, low viscosity
explain the difficulty of increasing silica content?
silica content above 50% make it tougher to flow
- Blocky has high viscosity
explain relation between magma viscosity and volcanoes?
The volcano type is partially dependant on the magma viscosity
Explain magma and gas content details
- Explosivity related to gas content
- greater gas content = more explosive
- Rhylitic magma: more gas than basaltic magma
explain viscosity characteristics related to gas content
- if viscosity is high - more difficult for gas to escape (pressure builds up - a bigger eruption)
Explain how low gas and high gas/ low silica and high silica content affects volcanism?
- Low gas/low silica: runny lava, quiet eruption
- Low gas, high silica: quiet eruption
- High gas/low silica
What are the two types of eruptive styles?
Effusive and Explosive eruptions
Explain “Effusive” Eruptive Style
- Produces lava flows
- flows stream away from vents, lava lakes can form
Explain “Explosive” eruptive style
- produces pyroclastic flows
- caused by gas pressure in the more viscous magma
- Erupts - pressure released explosively
explain “Red” in Effusive style
Red produces lava flows and is peaceful