Possible Questions

1. What is silica?
a. This is the compound of the two most abundant elements in the Earth’s crust, silicon
and oxygen (SiO2)
2. What is the average circumference of a shield volcano’s vent?
a. Average diameter = 16,000 – 21,000 ft
b. Average Height = 1,500 – 2,000 ft
c. Average Circumference = 50,000 – 70,000 ft2
3. Once the magma chamber is empty how long does it take to fill up again?
a. N/A
4. Exactly how does the shield volcano’s shape differ from other volcanoes?
a. It is much shorter than other volcanoes, but it is the widest in terms of area as it they
measure around 3 to 6 km across. Shield volcanoes are flat which leads to its lava
flowing down its sides.
5. How far can basaltic lava flow before hardening?
a. More than 20km
6. Is there basaltic lava that’s high in viscosity?
a. No
7. What is the temperature of basaltic lava?
a. Between 1100 to 1200 ° C.
8. Gas content of basaltic lava?
a. Basaltic magma has low gas content. The composition of the gases in magma are
mostly H2O (water vapor) & some CO2 (carbon dioxide)
Minor amounts of Sulfur, Chlorine, and Fluorine gases.
9. How does viscosity and gas content affect temperature?
a. Lower viscosity and low gas content means higher temperature of magma. Viscosity of
magma, the resistance to flow depends on the composition of the magma and
temperature. Higher silica content means higher viscosity. But lower temperatures and
low gas content means higher viscosity.
10. What are the minerals of basaltic lava?
 a. Basaltic magma is high in iron, magnesium, and calcium but low in potassium and
sodium.
11. What minor gas species are in basaltic lava?
a. Helium
b. Nitrogen
c. Various Halogens
12. What other gas particles are present in vog?
a. Carbon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, and Water Vapor
13. How do the fine particles of vog scatter sunlight?
a. When light from the sum enters the Earth's atmosphere, if vog is present in the air, it's
atoms and molecules will absorb the light and these atoms re-emit light in all directions,
causing it to scatter.
14. Is sulfur dioxide the only harmful thing in vog?
a. No, exposure to hydrogen sulfide may cause irritation to the eyes and respiratory
system as it can cause inflammation and irritation on the moist membranes of the eyes
and respiratory tract.
b. Carbon monoxide is also harmful when breathed because it displaces oxygen in the
blood and deprives the heart, brain and other vital organs of oxygen.
c. Hydrogen chloride can make it difficult to breathe, and at very high concentrations
continuing to breathe it can be fatal.
d. Hydrogen fluoride gases, even at low levels, can also irritate the eyes, nose, and
respiratory tract.
15. How does the vog contribute to global warming?
a. Vog being released from volcanic eruptions has elements like sulfur dioxide (cools down
the earth) and carbon dioxide (heats up the earth).
16. How can ash and lava make soil fertile?
a. Volcanic ash is a versatile and effective multi-nutrient mineral fertilizer whose catalytic
mechanism of action is based on the supply of trace metals to the soil microflora
involved in the biogeochemical cycling of elemental nutrients such as carbon, nitrogen,
sulfur and phosphorus. Lava actually enriches the soil that it initially burned, said
Mathieu Yalira, the chair of observatory's geochemistry and environment department.
17. How does a shield volcano’s eruption differ from the other volcano types?
 a. A shield volcano’s eruption can be classified as less violent as opposed to the other
volcano types as it has a larger vent, hence the magma doesn’t build up inside. Instead,
it slowly pours down the volcano’s sides.
18. What are pahoehoe lava flows and how are they formed?
a. Is when low-viscosity lava, erupted from a volcano, flows over the ground
b. It is formed when the lava begins to cool and solidify at the surface, forming a thin, solid
crust that is flexible enough to be pushed and folded by the still-liquid lava beneath.
19. How can A'ā lava flows form?
a. They are rough, blocky in texture, with sharp edges and jumbled appearance.
b. Higher gas contents can increase the viscosity of lava which leads to it forming A'ā lava
flows
20. How can gas content of magma increase?
a. Gas content increases when there is an increase in volatiles (measure of how readily a
substance transitions from liquid to gas)
21. How does the amount of silica affect viscosity of basaltic magma?
a. Silica tetrahedra can form a three-dimensional network, making it more difficult for lava
to flow