Volcanos

Want to read the rest of this paper? Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay and over 50,000 other term papers

of Hawaii, where
the terms originated. The stickiest lava forms flows of boulders and rubble
called block flows. It may also form mounds of lava called domes.

Other lava formations are spatter cones and lava tubes. Spatter cones
are steep hills that can get up to 100 feet high. They build up from the spatter
of geyser-like eruptions of thick lava. Lava tubes are tunnels formed from fluid
lava. As the lava flows, its exterior covering cools and hardens. But the lava
below continues to flow. After the flowing lava drains away, it leaves a tunnel.

Rock Fragments

Rock fragment are usually called tephra and are formed from sticky magma.
This magma is so sticky that its gas can not easily escape when the magma
approaches the surface or central vent. Finally, the trapped gas builds up so
much pressure that it blasts the magma into fragments. Tephra consists of
volcanic dust, volcanic ash, and volcanic bombs, (from smallest to largest size
particle).

Volcanic dust consists of ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays. Write better papers. Get better grades. Already a member? Login

may also be produced when rising magma heats
water in the ground. Volcanic gas carries a large sum of volcanic dust. This
alliance of gas and dust looks like black smoke

Types of Volcanoes

The magmas that are the most liquefied erupt quietly and flow from the
vent to form sloping shield volcanoes, a name that is conceived because they
look like the shields of ancient German warriors. The lava that flows from
shield volcanoes is usually only one to ten meters thick, but the lava may
extend for great distances away from the vent. The volcanoes of Hawaii and
Iceland are typical shield volcanoes.

Magma with high gas contents and high viscosities are usually more
explosive than the lava ...

Succeed in your coursework without stepping into a library. Get access to a growing library of notes, book reports, and research papers in 2 minutes or less.

CITE THIS PAGE: