Volcanoes Flashcards
Active Volcano
An active volcano is a volcano that has had at least one eruption during the past 10,000 years. An active volcano might be erupting or dormant.
Composite cone volcano
A conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Forms at destructive subduction plate boundaries. Typical of andesitic and rhyolitic lava flows. Large heights with steep profile, slopes of 10 degrees to 30 on top. Catastrophic eruptions due to internal pressures from viscous magma. Other features: calderas, pyroclastic flows, lahars, ash clouds, volcanic bombs, e.g. Mount Fuji, Krakatoa (erupted 1883)
Crater
A roughly circular depression in the ground caused by volcanic activity. It is typically a bowl-shaped feature within which occurs a vent or vents.
Andesitic lava
Lava which is more viscous than basaltic lava due to higher silica content (60%) so flows at a slower rate. It has a lower temperature (800-1000 degrees Celsius) than basaltic lava. Gas content is higher than in basaltic lava (3-4%) with intermediate explosivity. Formed at converging plates where subduction occurs. E.g. Mount St. Helens (Washington state)
Basaltic lava
Mafic, least viscous lava (fast and runny) due to a lower silica content (50%). It is the hottest type of lava at 1100 to 1200 degrees Celsius. Gas content is lower than in other lava types (0.5-2%) with least explosivity (low VEI). Formed at core mantle boundary when a portion of the mantle is melted and emitted at constructive boundaries or hot spots. E.g. Hawaiian Islands (Mauna Loa)
Rhyolitic lava
Felsic, most viscous lava so flows at slowest rate (block flow) due to the highest silica content (70%). It has the lowest temperature (650-800 degrees Celsius). Gas content is highest (4-6%) with greatest explosivity. Formed due to melting of lithosphere and slabs of previously subducted plate. Formed at converging plates, e.g. Yellowstone volcano, USA
Ash
Refers to all explosive eruption products (tephra), including particles larger than 2mm. When (dissolved) gases inside a volcano’s magma chamber expand, they violently push molten rock (magma) up and out of the volcano.
Dormant volcano
A dormant volcano is an active volcano that is not erupting. A dormant volcano is one that hasn’t erupted in the past 10,000 years, but which is expected to erupt again.
Extinct volcano
An extinct volcano has not had an eruption for at least 10,000 years and is not expected to erupt again in a comparable time scale of the future.
Magma chamber
A magma chamber is a large underground pool of liquid rock found beneath the surface of the Earth. The molten rock in such a chamber is under great pressure, and given enough time, that pressure can gradually fracture the rock around it creating outlets for the magma.
Parasitic Cone
The cone-shaped accumulation of volcanic material not part of the central vent of a volcano. It forms from fractures from eruptions on the flank of the volcano. These fractures occur because the flank of the volcano is unstable.
Plug
A volcanic object created when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano. When present, a plug can cause an extreme build-up of pressure if rising magma is trapped beneath it, and this can sometimes lead to an explosive eruption.
Pyroclastic Flow
A fast-moving current of hot gas and volcanic matter (tephra), which reaches speeds moving away from a volcano of up to 700 km/h and spreading laterally under gravity. The gases can reach temperatures of about 1,000 °C. Speed depends on density of the current, volcanic output rate and gradient of slope.
Dyke
A dike or dyke, in geological usage, is a sheet of rock that formed in a fracture in a pre-existing rock body. Dikes can be either magmatic or sedimentary in origin. Magmatic dikes form when magma intrudes into a crack then crystallizes as a sheet intrusion, either cutting across layers of rock or through an unlayered mass of rock. Clastic dikes are formed when sediment fills a pre-existing crack
Dykes - these are vertical intrusions with horizontal colloing crakcs. They cut across the bedding planes of the rocks into which they have been intruded. Dykes often occur in groups where they are knwon as dyke swarms. Many Scottish Islands, such as Mull and Skye have clusters of dykes all associated with one instrusive event.
Sill
Sills - these are horizontal intrusions along the lines of beeding planes. Sills have vertical cooling cracks. Examples include the Great Whin Sill (which carries part of Hadrian’s Wakk) and Drumadoon on the Isle of Arran. Both sills and dykes are commonly made up of dolerite.
a sill is a tabular sheet intrusion that has intruded between older layers of sedimentary rock, beds of volcanic lava or tuff, or even along the direction of foliation in metamorphic rock. The term sill is synonymous with concordant intrusive sheet.
Intrusive volcanic features
When magma is forced to the surface only a small amount of the mass actually reaches that level. Most of the magma is intruded into the crust where it solidifies into a range of features. These are often exposed at the surface by later erosion
Batholiths are formed deep below the surface when large masses of magma cool and solidify. As the magma cools slowly, large crystals are formed in the rock (e.g. granite). Batholiths are often dome-shaped and exposed by later erosion. This is the case on Dartmoor (left) and on the Isle of Arran. Batholiths can be several hundreds of kilometres in diameter. The area surrounding the batholith is altered by the heat and pressure of the intrusion to form a metamorphic aureole (limestone, for example can be transformed into marble). Batholiths are unaffected by the characteristics and structure of existing rock. Sometimes smaller injections of magma fom a lens shape that is intruded between layers of rock. This then forces the overlying strata (layers of rock) to arch upawards, forming a dome. This feature is knwon as a laccolith, and it may be exposed by later weathering and erosion to form a small range of hills, for example the Eildon Hills on the Scottish Borders.
dykes and sills
INTRUSIVE volcanic features are intruded into the lithosphere or rock, there they cool and solidify into rocks and are later exposed at the land surface as erosion and weathering DENUDE the land downwards. The majority of volcanic features are actually intrusive, most volcanic materials never actually make it to the ground surface in their molten state.
Extrusive volcanic features
When volcanic activity takes place above ground, so that hot molten magma is released onto the landscape, we say that the volcanic activity is extrusive, meaning it is on the exterior, or outside of the Earth. Magma that reaches the service is known as lava. Lava flows are extraordinarily hot, and destructive.
Geyser
A fountain of water and steam that builds up pressure underground and erupts at regular intervals. a hot spring in which water boils sending a tall column of water and steam into the air, formd due to hydrogeological conditions nesr ctive volcanic areas due to proximity of magma, surface water works its way down to an average depth of around 2000 metres where it contacts hot rocks, resultant boiling of pressurised water results in geyser effect of hot water and steam spraying out geyser;s surface vent, e.g. Strokkur geyser erupts every 5-8 minutes up to 30m
Geothermal
of or relating to the heat in the interior of the earth
Cloud seeding
A form of weather modification which attempts to change the amount of precipitation that falls from clouds by dispersing substances into the air that serve as cloud condensation or ice nuclei which alter processes in the cloud. Usually used to increase precipitation or in airports for hail and fog suppression, could be used to clear volcanic ash with water vapour clouds.
Formation of composite volcano
Magma rises when water trapped in rocks of upper oceanic crust is released into mantle rock of asthernosphere above sinking oceanic slab. Mantle rock undergoes partial melting and rises due to its lower density relative to the surrrounding mantle rock. Magma rises through the curst and pools in magma chamber. Low pressure allows water and other volatiles to escape from magma as gases and as it accumulates, plug of volcanic cone is overcome leading to sudden explosive eruption. alternate layers of lava flows and pyroclastic material (50% oyrocasltci)
Shield volcano
A broad domed volcano with gently sloping sides (2-3 degrees reaching 10 degrees at top), characteristic of the eruption of fluid, basaltic lava, formed at constructive plate boundaries. Smaller heights with low profile. Features: rift zones, cinder cones, lava tubes, plateaus, calderas, e.g. Mauna Loa
Formation of shield volcano
Build of fluid magma flows, steady accumulation of broad sheets of lava and thin sheets (less than 1m thick), They are the product of gentle effusive eruptions with high magma supply rates. common product of hotspot volcanism, 90% is lava rather than yroclastici material;
Caldera
a large volcanic crater, especially one formed by a major eruption leading to the collapse of the mouth of the volcano.