Volcanology
Volcanology is the study of volcanoes, lava, magma, and related geological, geophysical and geochemical phenomena. The term volcanology is derived from the Latin word vulcan. A volcano is a vent in earths crusts through which lava, stream, ashes etc are expelled.
When tectonic plates collide and go through the process of subduction,it sets the foundation for a volcano.The overlapping of the tectonic plates cause the magma to break through the crust,which is the cause of a volcanoes’birth. Volcanoes erupt wii occur when Hot, molten rock (magma) is buoyant (has a lower density than the surrounding rocks) and will rise up through the crust to erupt on the surface. When magma reaches the surface it depends on how easily it flows (viscosity) and the amount of gas (H2O, CO2, S) it has in it as to how it erupts. Large amounts of gas and a high viscosity (sticky) magma will form an explosive eruption. Small amounts of gas and (or) low viscosity (runny) magma will form an effusive eruption (lava flow).
Explosive volcanic eruptions can be catastrophic. This Erupt 10’s-1000’s km3 of magmaAnd it send ash to the cloud >25 km into the stratosphere. Volcanic Hazards are pyroclastic flow, Lahars/Mud flows, Pyroclastic fall, Lava flow, Noxious Gas, Earthquakes.
- Global Volcanism Program
- Igneous rock
- Tephrochronology
- Volcano Number
- Deformation monitoring
- GNS Science