Volcanoes

Volcanoes

Introduction to Volcanoes

Volcanoes are openings in Earth's crust that allow magma, ash, and gases to escape. They are primarily found along tectonic plate boundaries, which can be divergent (moving apart) or convergent (coming together).

What do you already know about volcanoes?

Plate Tectonics and Volcanic Activity

Plate tectonics: The theory that Earth's outer shell is divided into several plates that glide over the mantle. Subduction: The process by which one tectonic plate moves under another tectonic plate and sinks into the mantle as the plates converge.

Hotspot Volcanism and Mantle Plumes

Mantle plume: A hypothesized upwelling of hot rock from the Earth's mantle. Hotspot: A volcanic region thought to be fed by underlying mantle that is anomalously hot compared with the surrounding mantle.

Continental Rifting and Volcanic Activity

The East African Rift and the Rio Grande rift are examples of continental rifting leading to volcanism.

Types of Volcanoes

Various types of volcanoes exist, including shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes, and cinder cones, each with distinct features and eruption styles.

Volcanic Features

Tephra: Rock fragments and particles ejected by a volcanic eruption. Lahar: A destructive mudflow on the slopes of a volcano.

Supervolcanoes

Supervolcanoes can produce massive eruptions with global consequences.

Submarine and Subglacial Volcanoes

Submarine and subglacial volcanoes form under water and ice, respectively.

Mud Volcanoes and Etymology

Mud volcanoes are created by geo-excreted liquids and gases. The word 'volcano' comes from the Roman god Vulcan, and the study of volcanoes is known as volcanology.

Definitions

Volcano: A rupture in the planetary crust where magma, ash, and gases can escape from below the surface. Plate tectonics: The theory that Earth's outer shell is divided into several plates that glide over the mantle. Mantle plume: A hypothesized upwelling of hot rock from the Earth's mantle. Hotspot: A volcanic region thought to be fed by underlying mantle that is anomalously hot compared with the surrounding mantle. Subduction: The process by which one tectonic plate moves under another tectonic plate and sinks into the mantle as the plates converge. Tephra: Rock fragments and particles ejected by a volcanic eruption. Lahar: A destructive mudflow on the slopes of a volcano. Supervolcano: A volcano that has had an eruption with a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 8, the largest recorded value on the index.

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