Volcanoes and Plate Tectonics (part 1) “an opening in the Earth’s crust through which an eruption takes place”

Volcanoes (cont.) Nature of a volcanic eruption depends on the Magma Magma – hot, liquid rock beneath the Earth’s surface. Lava – hot, liquid rock that reaches (and goes above) the Earth’s surface.

Volcanoes (cont.) Possible sources of heat below the surface: Radioactive decay is a breaking apart of the nucleus of an atom; as a nucleus breaks apart, it releases energy which is changed into heat. Original Heat inside the earth may have been trapped when the earth first formed. Friction – results from the movement of lithospheric plates. Fusion in the core – nuclear fusion, similar to the sun, is occurring in the core

Volcanoes (cont.) Active Volcano – 1300 volcanoes on land around the world are thought to be active, have erupted within the last few hundred years. Dormant Volcano – ‘sleeping’ volcano, but capable of being activated Extinct Volcano – has not erupted for the last several thousand years.

Volcanoes (cont.) Types of volcanoes Types of volcanoes are determined by the strength and explosiveness of the eruption Eruption Depends on a) temperature, b) composition, and c) amount of dissolved gases these affect the magma’s viscosity (ability to flow – more viscous –greater resistance to flow)

Volcanoes (cont.) Temperature – the hotter-the runnier (less viscous)…

Volcanoes (cont.) Composition – movement of magma depends on the amount of silica the more silica the greater the viscosity. Felsic - High silica – granitic – 70% silica Mafic - Low silica – basaltic – 30% silica; (molecular silica links to make long chains, even before crystallization begins)

Volcanoes (cont.) Dissolved gases – this provides the force of an eruption. As magma moves closer to the surface (like in a volcano) the pressure is reduced and the dissolved gases are released – sometimes suddenly i.e. Soda bottle Gases are: water vapor Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Sulfur Carbon Monoxide (CO) Sulfur Dioxide, SO2 Hydrogen Sulfide, H2S

Volcanoes (lava) Felsic – high silica Flows slowly, gas held within; does NOT allow gasses to escape readily – EXPLOSIVE

Volcanoes (cont.) Mafic – low silica; more fluid, DOES allow gasses to escape readily – NON-Explosive

Volcanoes (cont.) …….. In short… Lava (magma that reaches the surface) Felsic - flow slowly, gas is held within – explosive Mafic - more fluid, gas easily escapes – lava pours out slowly

Volcanoes (cont.) Lava type Felsic Mafic Silica % High Low Viscosity High (thick) Low (thin) Color Light Dark Rate of movement Slow Quick Dissolved gasses Cannot easily escape Escapes easily Nature of eruption Explosive Quiet

Eruptive Fragments Pyroclastic Tephra: lava that is blasted into the air by violent volcanic eruptions and solidifies as it falls to the ground as ash, lapilli, cinders, blocks, and volcanic bombs Ash – less than 2mm diameter Lapilli (also cinders) – up to 64 mm Blocks more than 64 mm (solid) Bombs more than 64 mm (liquid)

Tephra (Actual size of tephra)

Anatomy of a Volcano Vent – in volcanic regions, an opening in the Earth’s surface through which lava, ash and steam flow Crater – opening at the top of a volcano Dike – igneous rock that forms when magma is squeezed into a vertical crack and solidifies (crosses layers) Sill – small body of igneous rock that forms when magma is squeezed into a horizontal crack and then solidifies (parallel to layers)

Anatomy of a Volcano

Anatomy of a Volcano

Anatomy of a Volcano

Crater at the top of the vent

Evidence of Volcano Volcanic neck: the core of a volcano’s vent that remains after the outer layers of lava and tephra have been eroded away from an extinct volcano Caldera: the large opening formed at the top of a volcano when the crater collapses into the vent following an eruption

Volcanic Neck

Crater Lake

Crater Lake

The End

Types of Volcanoes - Group Each group member is responsible for knowing all 3 volcanoes AND additional features so make sure the information is recorded in your OWN notebook Types of Volcanoes - Group Composite volcano Shield volcano Cinder Cone Volcano Caldera and other interesting features of volcanoes Each type of volcano the following information will be recorded in your notebook and reported to the group. For your type of volcano, you will find: The structure / make up of the volcano Type of magma / lava produced; type of tephra produced How does this type of magma/lava relate to eruption the volcano produces Examples of this kind of volcano and the places they are located. Last eruption or most famous eruption and explain what happened.

If online: print, read and highlight Extra Credit Find a news article regarding Volcanoes in a newspaper or magazine or online If online: print, read and highlight Type two paragraphs: one paragraph summary and a one paragraph response Give it to me discreetly at the beginning of class BEFORE the end of the unit on volcanoes.