All About

Volcanoes
 Table of Contents

What Are Volcanoes? Categories, Parts of a Volcano

Types of Volcanoes Composite, Lava Dome, Shield, Cinder Cone Volcano, Diagrams

Volcano Eruptions Causes, Types of Eruptions

Ecological Effects of Volcanoes

01
What are Volcanoes?
A volcano is an opening in the Earth's
surface where lava escapes,

Volcanoes occur due to convection currents

in the magma inside the earth. The heat
from the core warms up the magma which
makes it rise. As it nears the crust, it cools
and sinks toward the core again where it
warms up and rises and continues its cycle.

Eruptions of volcanoes take place when the

pressure builds up in the earth’s crust.
Categories of Volcanoes
Volcanoes are categorized into three main categories:
• Active- one which has recently erupted and there is a possibility
that it may erupt soon.

• Dormant- one that has not erupted in a long time but there is a
possibility it can erupt in the future.

• Extinct- one which has erupted thousands of years ago and

there’s no possibility of an eruption.
Parts of a Volcano
 Parts of a Volcano
Ash Cloud:
• A cloud of fine volcanic ash and gases ejected into the
atmosphere during an eruption. Ash clouds can pose
hazards to aviation and affect local weather.
Vent:
• The central opening through which volcanic materials,
including lava, ash, and gases, are expelled during an
eruption.
Lava Flow:
• Molten rock (lava) that emerges from the vent and
travels down the sides of the volcano. Lava flows can
vary in size, speed, and composition.
Sill
• Flat rock formation that forms when molten magma
cools and solidifies in a crack or fissure.
Crater:
• An approximately circular depression in the ground
caused by volcanic activity. It is typically a bowl-
shaped feature containing one or more vents.
Parasitic Cone:
• A smaller cone-shaped structure that forms on the
flanks of the main volcano, often created by eruptions
from secondary vents.
 Parts of a Volcano
Dyke:
• A vertical sheet of solidified magma that cuts across
existing rock layers.

Laccolith:
• A mushroom-shaped intrusion of magma that is
injected between layers of sedimentary rock. The
magma, while still underground, forces the overlying
rock layers to arch upward, creating a dome-like
structure.

Magma Chamber:
• A reservoir beneath the Earth's surface where molten
rock (magma) accumulates. The magma chamber is
the source of volcanic activity.
Types of
Volcanoes
 1. Composite Volcanoes [Mt Fuji, Japan]
A cone-shaped volcano built from several layers of lava, pumice, ash, and tephra. Due to its
viscous lava, a composite volcano tends to form tall peaks rather than rounded cones.

Formation of a Composite Volcano

A composite volcano is built over a span of thousands of years through multiple eruptions.
The eruptions build the composite volcano layer by layer until the volcano towers thousands
of meters. Some layers are of lava, while others might be of ash, rock, etc.
Diagram of Composite Volcano
 2. Lava Dome [Soufriere Hills, Monserrat]
Lava domes are formed when erupting lava is too thick to flow and makes a steep-sided
mound as the lava piles up near the volcanic vent. They are built by slow eruptions of highly
viscous lava.

Formation of a Lava Dome

They are sometimes formed within the crater of a previous volcanic eruption. Like a
composite volcano, they can produce violent, explosive eruptions, but their lava generally
does not flow far from the originating vent.
Diagram of Lava Dome
 3. Shield Volcanoes [Mauna Loa, Hawaii]
A shield volcano is a broad volcano with shallow inclining sides. Shield volcanoes are formed
from many magma flows of low viscosity. The magma flows out of the vent and slides down
the slopes of the volcano and builds up the size. A shield volcano is named so due to their
similarity to a warrior’s shield lying on the ground.

Formation of a Shield Volcano

A shield volcano is built mainly out of basaltic lava of low viscosity. The lava flows out,
cools, and hardens, adding layers of cooled and hardened lava underneath it. This process
creates a gradual increase in elevation over time resulting in the formation of shield
volcanoes.
Diagram of Shield Volcano
 4. Cinder Cone Volcanoes [Mt Etna, Sicily]
Cinder cones are the type of volcano that is formed by pyroclastic fragments like volcanic
ashes, solidified lava pieces, volcanic clinkers, pumice, and hot gases. These volcanoes are
formed around the volcanic vent and are known to be the simplest form of a volcano.

Formation of a Cinder Cone Volcano

Cinder cones are formed when the gas-charged lava is blown with a great force into the air;
it breaks into small fragments and solidifies. This solidified material builds up a circular or
oval-shaped cone with a bowl-shaped crater at the top. They grow rapidly and in some cases
it’s been recorded that cinder cones grow up to 1,000 feet.
Diagram of Cinder Cone Volcano
5. Fissure Volcanoes [Holuhraun, Iceland]
A fissure volcano is characterized by a long crack or opening in the Earth's crust from which
lava erupts. Instead of having a single central vent, fissure volcanoes feature a linear series of
cracks or fractures through which molten rock, ash, and gases are expelled. The eruptions
along these fissures can create extensive lava flows and contribute to the formation of broad
volcanic plateaus. Fissure eruptions are often associated with basaltic lava, which is relatively
low in viscosity, allowing it to flow easily over long distances.
Diagram of Fissure Volcano
Volcano
Eruptions
Causes of Different Types of Eruptions
Cause Effect
• Viscous lava is thick and contains much silica, solidifying quickly to produce steep
slopes. It tends to block the vent, leading to explosive eruptions as the pressure
increases
Viscosity of Magma
• Non-Viscous lava contains little silica and quickly spreads, forming gentle slopes.
This type of lava does not block the vent to cause explosions
• High water content in the vent results in intense steam pressure that can produce
violent explosions and scatter solid rock fragments, ash and cinder
Water
• Low water content results in steady lava flows that are not explosive

Gases • High concentrations of gases in the vent have the same effect as high water content
Types of volcanic eruptions

1. Explosive Eruptions:
Plinian Eruptions: Highly explosive eruptions characterized by a towering column of
ash and volcanic gases. These eruptions are named after the Roman historian Pliny the
Younger.
Vulcanian Eruptions: Moderately explosive eruptions with the ejection of ash clouds,
rocks, and pyroclastic flows.
Types of volcanic eruptions
2. Effusive Eruptions:
• Hawaiian Eruptions: Characterized by the relatively gentle outpouring of lava from
fissures or central vents. The lava is typically low in viscosity, allowing it to flow easily.
• Strombolian Eruptions: Intermediate eruptions with frequent but less violent bursts of
lava. Named after the Italian volcano Stromboli.

3. Phreatomagmatic Eruptions:
• Phreatic Eruptions: Explosive eruptions caused by the interaction between magma
and groundwater. The water turns to steam, leading to explosions that can produce ash
clouds
Types of volcanic eruptions
4. Submarine Eruptions:
• Submarine Explosive Eruptions: Occur beneath the ocean surface, leading to the
creation of new seafloor structures. These eruptions can produce underwater volcanic
plumes.

Kick Em Jenny- an active submarine volcano located 8km north of Grenada

• It is 1300m above the sea floor and its highest point is 180m below the sea surface
• It erupted in 1939 sending a cloud of steam and debris almost 300m into the air and
causing a small tsunami. Since then it has erupted at least 12 times.
• There is a maritime exclusion zone of radius 1.5km around the volcano
• The volcanic islands of the Lesser Antilles were initially all submarine volcanoes
Types of volcanic eruptions
5. Pyroclastic Flow Eruptions:
• Involve the rapid movement of hot ash, rock fragments, and gases down the volcano's
slopes. These flows can be extremely destructive.

6. Lava Fountain Eruptions:

• Feature the ejection of molten lava into the air, forming impressive fountains. The lava
typically falls back to the ground, contributing to the growth of the volcanic cone.
Types of volcanic eruptions
7. Phreatomagmatic Eruptions:
• Explosive eruptions resulting from the interaction of magma with water. The water can
come from groundwater, lakes, or the ocean.
Ecological Effects of Volcanoes
Nagative
• Rapidly moving flow of materials from the
volcano destroys plants, animals, and anything
in its path.
• Ash can block sunlight, reducing photosynthesis
and plant growth.
• Ash and volcanic gases can cause respiratory
illnesses.
• Landslides produced can cause massive
destruction.
• Decaying animals, killed by the volcano, can
pollute the environment, including its water
supplies.
• Active volcanoes are unsafe and so can reduce
tourism.
• Beautiful landscapes are destroyed.
Positive
• Volcanic material can contain important
minerals such as copper and gold.
• Weathered lava becomes fertile soil after a
period of time.
• Hot springs provide geothermal energy.
• Hot springs can be used for therapy.
• Tourism can be boosted by extraordinary
volcanic features such as calderas. A caldera is
created when a magma chamber is emptied by
massive eruptions causing the crater to collapse
into itself.