volcanoes
Post on 07-Jan-2016
28 Views
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Volcanoes
The Nature of Volcanic Eruptions
• Viscosity (resistance to flow) determines the “violence” or explosiveness of a volcanic eruption
• Factors which determine viscosity• Composition of the magma• Temperature of the magma• Dissolved gases in the magma
Temperature - Cooler magmas are more viscous
• A volcano’s eruptions may get more explosive over time, as magma in chamber cools down
• Example: Crater Lake (formerly Mt. Mazama)
Magma Composition and Viscosity• Granitic/andesitic lavas
have greater silica (SiO2) content and are more viscous– Convergent plate
volcanism• Basaltic lavas have
less(SiO2) content and are less viscous– Divergent plate
volcanism– Intraplate (hot spot)
volcanism
Dissolved Gases Content and Viscosity
• Gases expand within a magma as it nears the Earth’s surface due to decreasing pressure
• The violence of an eruption is related to how easily gases escape from magma
• “Wet” magma (oceanic subduction) has significant gas content
Materials extruded from a volcano
• Lava Flows– Pahoehoe lava
(resembles a twisted or ropey texture)
– Aa lava (rough, jagged blocky texture)
Figure 4.5a
Figure 4.3
Materials extruded from a volcano
• Dissolved Gases: Mainly water vapor and carbon dioxide
• Pyroclastic materials – “Fire fragments”– Ash and dust - fine, glassy
fragments– Cinders – slightly larger than ash– Pumice - porous rock from “frothy” lava– Blocks and bombs – larger discrete pieces
of lava
Shield volcanos
• Broad, slightly domed-shaped
• Composed primarily of basaltic lava
• Generally cover large areas
• Produced by mild eruptions of large volumes of lava
• Mauna Loa on Hawaii is a good example
Cinder Cones
– Built from ejected lava (mainly cinder-sized) fragments
– Steep slope angle– Rather small size– Frequently occur
in groups
Composite cone (Stratovolcano)
– Most are located adjacent to the Pacific Ocean (e.g., Fujiyama, Mt. St. Helens).
– Large, classic-shaped volcano (1000’s of ft. high & several miles wide at base).
– Composed of lava flows alternating with large quantities of pyroclastic flow deposits.
Figure 4.1a
Figure 4.1b
A composite volcano
Figure 4.7
Size comparison of volcano types
Formation of Crater Lake
Partial Melting and Magma Formation
• Formation of Basaltic magmas• Most originate from partial melting of ultramafic rock in
the mantle• Basaltic magmas form at mid-ocean ridges by
decompression melting or at subduction zones
• Formation of Granitic magmas• Basaltic magma pools beneath granitic continental rock
and melts it, forming granitic magma• Granitic magma often does not reach the surface, but
instead forms intrusive rocks at depth.
How Magma Rises
Formation of Plutons from Granitic Magma
• Formation of Granitic magmas• Basaltic magma pools beneath granitic continental rock
and melts it, forming granitic magma• Granitic magma often does not reach the surface, but
instead forms intrusive rocks at depth.
• Pluton – a large mass of intrusive rock• Most plutons are granitic in composition• Granitic magma forms at base of continental crust and
rises up because it is less dense than the solid crust
Forming Igneous Features and Landforms
Fig. 8-15, p.179
Fig. 8-16, p.180
Figure 4.24
Figure 4.26
Figure 4.20
Figure 4.21
Plate Tectonics and Magma Generation
Figure 4.27
Tectonic Settings and Volcanic Activity
MagmaRiseppt.html MagmaRiseppt.html
top related