VOLCANO

A volcano is a natural opening in the surface of the Earth where molten rocks, hot gases, smoke, and ash are
ejected.
 Ash – fragments of rocks; fine-grained lava
 Lava – magma that has been ejected out of a volcano
 Magma – molten rock inside the Earth
 Silica – a compound of silicon (SiO2)
Parts of a volcano
 Base
 Slope – degree of slant; inclination
 Summit – peak or highest point, has an opening which may either a crater or a caldera
o A crater is a funnel-shaped opening at the top of a volcano; while
o A caldera is formed when a part of the wall collapses following an explosive eruption

Volcanoes are classified according to

a. record of eruption – as active or inactive
 Active volcano– a volcano that has erupted within the last 600 years and are documented by
man or those that erupted 10, 000 years ago based on analyses of datable materials.
 Inactive volcano– a volcano that has no record of eruption
b. shape of volcanic cone – as shield, cinder, or composite
 Shield cone - formed by accumulation of lava resulting in a broad, slightly domed structure that
resembles a warrior’s shield. Example is the Mauna Loa in Hawaii.
 Cinder cone – characterized by narrow base and steep slope crater- a funnel-shaped depression
at the top oqqf a volcano formed as a result of explosive eruptions. One example of this type is
the Paricutin in Mexico.
o Cinder – loose fragments of solidified lava
 Composite cone or stratovolcanoes – formed from alternate solidification of lava and cinders
characterized by large and symmetrical slope. Example is the Mayon Volcano

Types of volcanic eruptions

Volcanoes erupt differently. They are generally classified as wet or dry depending on the magma’s water
content. Volcanoes are described according to the style of eruption as follows:

a. Phreatic or hydrothermal – is a stream-driven eruption as the hot rocks come in contact

with water. It is short-lived, characterized by ash columns but may be an onset of a
larger eruption. Shown on the right is our Taal Volcano in Batangas.
b. Phreatomagmatic – is a violent eruption due to the contact between water and
magma. As a result, a large column of very fine ash and high-speed and sideway
emission of pyroclastic called base surges are observed.
c. Strombolian - a periodic weak to violent eruption characterized by fountain lava, just
like the Irazu Volcano in Costa Rica.
d. Vulcanian – characterized by tall eruption columns that reach up to 20 km high with
pyroclastic flow and ash fall tephra like that of Paricutin Volcano in Mexico.
e. Plinian – excessively explosive type of eruption of gas and pyroclastic, just like our
Pinatubo Volcano in Zambales.
Viscosity is the property of the material’s resistance to flow.
- It is also described as the liquid’s thickness and stickiness.
- The more viscous and thicker the material is, the greater is its resistance to flow. For instance, syrup is more
viscous than water.

The shape of volcanic cone depends on three factors, namely:

a. composition of magma
First, let’s look into how temperature of magma affects its viscosity. The viscosity of magma
decreases with temperature. The higher the temperature of magma is, the lower is its viscosity. As
lava flows, it cools and begins to harden, its ability to flow decreases and eventually it stops.
b. temperature of magma
Then, let’s look at how the composition of magma affects its viscosity. Magmas with high silica
content are more viscous than those with low silica content as shown in Figure 6.The magma that
contains less silica is relatively fluid and travels far before solidifying
c. amount of gas
Lastly, the amount of gases contained in the magma affects its viscosity. Other factors being
equal, gas (mainly water vapor) dissolved in magma tends to increase its ability to flow. Therefore,
in near-surface environments, the loss of gases makes magma more viscous, forming a dome or a
columnar as shown in Figure 6.

Energy from the volcano

Geothermal energy – heat coming from inside the Earth

 Philippines ranks second in the world’s production of geothermal energy.
 According to the Department of Energy, 14.4% of the country’s total power generation is produced from
geothermal energy. The production of electricity from geothermal energy is cheaper than the electricity
production using natural gas, coal, and hydropower.

How is geothermal energy generated?

Geothermal energy is generated in two ways: geothermal power plants and geothermal heat pumps. They differ
in the depth of heat source to produce energy.
In geothermal power plants, the heat from deep inside the Earth is used to produce steam to generate
electricity compared with geothermal heat pumps that use the heat coming from close to the Earth’s surface to
heat water or provide heat for buildings.