Volcanoes Flashcards
Label parts of a volcano diagram
N/A
What are the differences between acidic lava and basic lava?
Acidic lava: Volcanoes at convergent boundaries, High silica content, temperatures of 800°C, high viscosity (pasty) - moves slowly, cools and hardens quickly, gases trapped - violent eruption, forms steep sided volcanoes
Basic lava: Volcanoes at divergent boundaries, low silica content, temperatures of 1200°C, low viscosity (runny) - moves quickly, cools and hardens slowly, gases escape - gentle eruption, forms gently sloping volcanoes
Describe how composite cones are formed and give an example
AKA stratovolcanoes are typically formed at convergent boundaries. Explosive eruptions lead to build up of acidic lava and pyroclastic material in alternating layers creating a steep sided cone. Eg. Mount St Helens USA, Mount Fuji Japan
Draw a diagram of a composite volcano
N/A
What type of eruptions usually occur at composite volcanoes?
Explosive (convergent boundary)
Causes lahars, pyroclastic flows, cinders and ash clouds
What type of magma do composite volacnoes have?
Acidic lava- cooler, thicker, high viscosity, explosive
How much gas do composite volcanoes have?
High levels - pressure builds due to gas trying to escape
Describe how cinder cones are formed and give an example.
Cinder cones are made of pyroclastic material that stuck together after an eruption. They have steep sides and a wide crater at the top. They usually erupt only once as the eruptions destroy their structure. The smallest type of volcano - rarely reach heights above 300m. Usually found around larger volcanoes (shield or composite).
Eg. Paricutin, Mexico
What type of eruptions usually occur at cinder cones?
Mildly explosive
Lava often erupts from sides/base due to weak structure
Gas filled lava cools to become cinders
What type of magma do cinder cones have?
Basic lava - low viscosity, hot, runny
How much gas do cinder cones have?
High levels - expands to form bubbles in lava
What shape are cinder cones?
Small >300m
Steep sides, small crater
Draw a diagram of a lava dome
N/A
Give an example of a lava dome
Mt. St. Helens, USA
What type of eruptions usually occur at lava domes?
Slow
Lava does not flow far
Can be violent
What kind of magma is found at lava domes?
Acidic lava - highly viscous, cools quickly, travels far
How much gas do lava domes have?
Low levels
What shape are lava domes?
Dome shaped
Thick layers of rock