Here today I'm going to be telling about how volcanoes come to be. How they began, and their three different stages; active, dormant, and extinct.
Plates of the earth's crust slowly move apart. This allows the magma to rise to the surface. Due to the great change in temperature, the magma cools into rock. Although some of this magma that reaches the surface bursts out in an eruption into lava. This continues to happen, and slowly, over a very long period of time, the magma and lava that have hardened begin to build up to form a mountain. The most common form of mountain is the cone-shaped volcano. The more eruptions that happen, the higher the mountain gets to be. But sometimes in an extreme eruption, parts of the volcano near the crater can get blown off, causing some to have odd, uneven shapes.
One stage of a volcano is the active stage. This is when the volcano is still currently erupting, or is expected to erupt soon. These volcanoes are watched closely by the people who live near them, so that they know when they will have to moved to a safe place. An example of an active volcano is Colo, in Indonesia.
Another stage of volcanoes is the dormant stage. This is when the volcano has been erupting in times in the past, but has not erupted in quite a long time. These volcanoes are still expected to erupt at some point in the future. They are not classified as extinct yet. An example of a dormant volcano is Mt Baker in Washington, USA.
The last stage of a volcano is the extinct stage. This is when the volcano has not erupted in a very long amount of time, has not erupted in historical times, and is not ever expected to again. On few occasions a volcano classified as extinct may become active. An example of an extinct volcano is Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Well that's it for today on volcanoes, thanks for reading and keep posted.
Steph
Monday, September 22, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
The Distinctively Different Parts of a Volcano
Here today I am going to tell about the major parts of every volcano, from the way the magma gets to the surface, to where the magma is stored in a volcano. So keep reading for something fun, fascinating, and educational!!
I got this picture from http://www2.edc.org/sciencequest/2001/SQ0110360/valcanoparts2.html. It is relevant because here I am talking about different parts and aspects of volcanoes.
The magma reservoir basically speaks for itself. It's a chamber way underneath the earth's surface, and holds gallons of magma, which sits there. This is also where the magma in an eruption comes from.
A vent is a tube that goes through the volcano, and this comes from the magma reservoir, straight to the top of the volcano. This allows magma to travel up from the magma reservoir during an eruption.
A crater is a circular (generally) opening in the top of the volcano. This is the top of the vent, the opening onto the top of the volcano. The sizes of craters are very different. They can range from huge openings, to very small, due to the lack of an eruption. Sometimes the crater size can grow, if the volcano erupts and the rock around the edge of the crater crumbles.
A summit is the very highest point of the volcano. Every volcano has one, no matter how small it is.
A dike is more or less a barrier. It is an obstacle that blocks things from getting by. These dikes range from very small sizes, to huge barriers.
Ash and lava layers cause the volcano to get it's cone-shape. As the volcano erupts, the materials come out of the crater. As these fall, they cool and harden, slowly creating these ash and lava layers. As many layers come out, they pile on top of each other, and the pressure pushes down on it, allowing the layers to stay where they are.
A parasitic cone is like another vent that is in the volcano. It is not like the main vent, is it a lot smaller then it, and does not come out of the main crater. It comes out of the side of the volcano, and occurs when there is a block in the main vent.
These are many of the typical features you may find in a volcano. Thanks for reading and stay posted for more!!
Steph
I got this picture from http://www2.edc.org/sciencequest/2001/SQ0110360/valcanoparts2.html. It is relevant because here I am talking about different parts and aspects of volcanoes.
The magma reservoir basically speaks for itself. It's a chamber way underneath the earth's surface, and holds gallons of magma, which sits there. This is also where the magma in an eruption comes from.
A vent is a tube that goes through the volcano, and this comes from the magma reservoir, straight to the top of the volcano. This allows magma to travel up from the magma reservoir during an eruption.
A crater is a circular (generally) opening in the top of the volcano. This is the top of the vent, the opening onto the top of the volcano. The sizes of craters are very different. They can range from huge openings, to very small, due to the lack of an eruption. Sometimes the crater size can grow, if the volcano erupts and the rock around the edge of the crater crumbles.
A summit is the very highest point of the volcano. Every volcano has one, no matter how small it is.
A dike is more or less a barrier. It is an obstacle that blocks things from getting by. These dikes range from very small sizes, to huge barriers.
Ash and lava layers cause the volcano to get it's cone-shape. As the volcano erupts, the materials come out of the crater. As these fall, they cool and harden, slowly creating these ash and lava layers. As many layers come out, they pile on top of each other, and the pressure pushes down on it, allowing the layers to stay where they are.
A parasitic cone is like another vent that is in the volcano. It is not like the main vent, is it a lot smaller then it, and does not come out of the main crater. It comes out of the side of the volcano, and occurs when there is a block in the main vent.
These are many of the typical features you may find in a volcano. Thanks for reading and stay posted for more!!
Steph
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Effects of Volcanoes on Everyday Lives
The effects of volcanoes can be very disastrous, especially to people's health in nearby towns. The hot lava is not the only thing that can be hazardous, in fact, compared to others is one of the less likely causes of death.
Some of the effects of volcanoes are volcanic gases, ash fall, landslides, and mudflows; all of which I will be telling about today.
I got this picture from http://domeofthesky.com/domenews/1149638400. It is relevant because I am talking about volcanoes, and when they start erupting, and this is a volcano in an early stage erupting, at its smoking stage.
Volcanic gases are gases released from a volcano while it is erupting, or possibly even when it is dormant. The most common gas released is water vapour, but carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrochloric acid and fluorine are also some of the gases that are released. Carbon dioxide is released into the earth's atmosphere, and adds onto the greenhouse effect. Sulfur dioxide greatly effects the earth's short term weather patterns. Sulfur particles last for a very long time, such as a few years. This is a contributes to destroying the ozone layer. Fluorine can pollute water when it enters it, and can poison animals when they drink some of it.
Volcanic ash is pieces of rock and glass and when a volcano erupts, spews this in different directions. Volcanic ash is very small, sometimes even less then a millimeter. It also conducts electricity, so can cause thunder when wet. It is formed when gas dissolved in magma expand quickly into the air, or when water is heated by magma. This ash also makes it harder for people to breath, causing some to suffocate.
A landslide is debris from the volcano that is rushing rapidly from the volcano. The size of them vary, from small articles of rocks and pebbles to huge collapses of the side of a volcano rushing downhill. The most common landslides occur on steep volcanic mountains; mainly because they are made out of small items of rock and sand and other lose items. Most landslides happen during an eruption, or when there is a lot of rainfall. Mount St. Helen's is an example of a volcano that has large landslides, like on May 18, 1990.
Mudflows are one of the most dangerous parts of volcanoes, because they are very dangerous. They are flows of mostly mud, water, and rocks which rush down at about 30 miles per hour, and can travel for over 50 miles at a time. They cause the most damage to a city, with their ability to rip up trees and destroy houses, and cover everything in mud. These can even occur when a volcano is dormant, not only during an eruption. Many mudflows occur in Hawaii due to its many volcanoes and huge amounts of rain.
So that's all for today about volcanoes and their effects, come back next week to find out some more on volcanoes.
Steph
Some of the effects of volcanoes are volcanic gases, ash fall, landslides, and mudflows; all of which I will be telling about today.
I got this picture from http://domeofthesky.com/domenews/1149638400. It is relevant because I am talking about volcanoes, and when they start erupting, and this is a volcano in an early stage erupting, at its smoking stage.
Volcanic gases are gases released from a volcano while it is erupting, or possibly even when it is dormant. The most common gas released is water vapour, but carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrochloric acid and fluorine are also some of the gases that are released. Carbon dioxide is released into the earth's atmosphere, and adds onto the greenhouse effect. Sulfur dioxide greatly effects the earth's short term weather patterns. Sulfur particles last for a very long time, such as a few years. This is a contributes to destroying the ozone layer. Fluorine can pollute water when it enters it, and can poison animals when they drink some of it.
Volcanic ash is pieces of rock and glass and when a volcano erupts, spews this in different directions. Volcanic ash is very small, sometimes even less then a millimeter. It also conducts electricity, so can cause thunder when wet. It is formed when gas dissolved in magma expand quickly into the air, or when water is heated by magma. This ash also makes it harder for people to breath, causing some to suffocate.
A landslide is debris from the volcano that is rushing rapidly from the volcano. The size of them vary, from small articles of rocks and pebbles to huge collapses of the side of a volcano rushing downhill. The most common landslides occur on steep volcanic mountains; mainly because they are made out of small items of rock and sand and other lose items. Most landslides happen during an eruption, or when there is a lot of rainfall. Mount St. Helen's is an example of a volcano that has large landslides, like on May 18, 1990.
Mudflows are one of the most dangerous parts of volcanoes, because they are very dangerous. They are flows of mostly mud, water, and rocks which rush down at about 30 miles per hour, and can travel for over 50 miles at a time. They cause the most damage to a city, with their ability to rip up trees and destroy houses, and cover everything in mud. These can even occur when a volcano is dormant, not only during an eruption. Many mudflows occur in Hawaii due to its many volcanoes and huge amounts of rain.
So that's all for today about volcanoes and their effects, come back next week to find out some more on volcanoes.
Steph
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Fun Fasinating Features of Volcanoes
Volcanoes have many different types of features, some of which are popular and others, rare. Here are some of these features explained (what they look like, how they were formed, and the differences between them).
Here I will explain lava domes, Stratovolcanoes, and submarine volcanoes in short detailed paragraphs about each one.
Lava domes are formed by the continuous eruptions of lava. This slowly builds up and may eventually become taller. They are usually rounded from substances that lie in the magma which may cause them to be quite viscous. A very interesting feature of lava domes are where they can be found, as one of the places is right inside the Crater of an old erupted volcano, like in Mount Saint Helens.
Stratovolcanoes are formed by the contents of the volcano eruptions piling up on each other to form a cone shape. These volcanoes are made of lava, ash, and cinder. This occurs because the lava flows and then hardens, the ash and cinders are piled on together with the lava and then as the lava hardens, it hardens with all the other particles together. Some of these volcanoes can be very harmful to a person's health. One of the common examples of this volcano is Mt. Fuji in Japan.
Submarine volcanoes are very common, as they are found on the ocean floor. They lie on all different depths of the ocean, such as shallow water and very deeply submerged under water. When they are shallow, they can blast steam and rock above the water, spurring it in many directions. When they are deep underwater though, they do not erupt because of the pressure of the water pushing down on them. Sometimes these volcanoes deep underwater become so large, that they can come through the surface of the water and make an island.
That is all there is on volcanoes for today, but keep checking in, and there will be more coming soon. Thanks.
Steph
Here I will explain lava domes, Stratovolcanoes, and submarine volcanoes in short detailed paragraphs about each one.
Lava domes are formed by the continuous eruptions of lava. This slowly builds up and may eventually become taller. They are usually rounded from substances that lie in the magma which may cause them to be quite viscous. A very interesting feature of lava domes are where they can be found, as one of the places is right inside the Crater of an old erupted volcano, like in Mount Saint Helens.
Stratovolcanoes are formed by the contents of the volcano eruptions piling up on each other to form a cone shape. These volcanoes are made of lava, ash, and cinder. This occurs because the lava flows and then hardens, the ash and cinders are piled on together with the lava and then as the lava hardens, it hardens with all the other particles together. Some of these volcanoes can be very harmful to a person's health. One of the common examples of this volcano is Mt. Fuji in Japan.
Submarine volcanoes are very common, as they are found on the ocean floor. They lie on all different depths of the ocean, such as shallow water and very deeply submerged under water. When they are shallow, they can blast steam and rock above the water, spurring it in many directions. When they are deep underwater though, they do not erupt because of the pressure of the water pushing down on them. Sometimes these volcanoes deep underwater become so large, that they can come through the surface of the water and make an island.
That is all there is on volcanoes for today, but keep checking in, and there will be more coming soon. Thanks.
Steph
Sunday, August 31, 2008
The Variations of Viscous Volcanic Volcanoes
Volcanoes. They're huge (or small); and can destroy people's lives in a matter of time. Basically they erupt when magma reaches the earth through a tunnel called a vent and from the great pressure, cause a violent eruption. But what really causes all this to happen? What's happening so deep down in the earth? What's behind the closed curtains, dwindling in the dark? I'm here to uncover some of this information.
I'll start with a simple definition and then go on to tell about how they get there; how they come to erupt and what some of the causes of them are.
Volcano- an opening in the crusts earth which allows some different substances -mostly magma- to reach the earth's surface through a hole called a vent.
Deep down underneath the ground we stand on is a mountain of activity. One of which is the moving of the earth's crusts, which move in many different directions. The main one of this particular topic is outward and inward moving of the crusts. The pressure underneath the surface of the earth is very strong, so if an opening appears (like when two plates pull apart), the magma rushes up to the surface, and then hardens. Ash and gases can also escape from this vent. When plates push towards each other, the thin plate gets pushed down into the earth, and as the lighter plate is pushed down, magma is formed and occasionally reaches the surface, where a new volcano is now formed. A large amount of the volcanoes are formed where land plates and oceanic plates meet.
Volcanoes erupt when earth's rock becomes hot enough to melt, which is not as heavy as solid rock. Since it is lighter, it is caused to rise where it makes its journey up the vent to the earth's surface. A violent eruption is only caused when the magma contains water and gases, which it very commonly can. When it comes to the surface the water and gases will expand rapidly causing a large eruption, spewing magma, water ash and varying gases.
When a volcano erupts and there is a city nearby, even a small eruption can do damage. Magma can destroy a city in a short time, and ash can cover a city completely, wrecking everything. Death is something that can occur from an eruption, mainly because of toxic gases filling the air, and fumes overwhelming the city. Common gases that come out of a volcanic eruption are water vapour, carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide, and these can be deadly.
Here is a short video to show an eruption of a volcano;
This find this video relevant to this post, because it is about a volcano erupting. Since this is about volcanoes, I found it interesting, and also educational. I found this video on www.youtube.com.
I hope you enjoyed my blog, keep posted and there will be more.
Steph
I'll start with a simple definition and then go on to tell about how they get there; how they come to erupt and what some of the causes of them are.
Volcano- an opening in the crusts earth which allows some different substances -mostly magma- to reach the earth's surface through a hole called a vent.
Deep down underneath the ground we stand on is a mountain of activity. One of which is the moving of the earth's crusts, which move in many different directions. The main one of this particular topic is outward and inward moving of the crusts. The pressure underneath the surface of the earth is very strong, so if an opening appears (like when two plates pull apart), the magma rushes up to the surface, and then hardens. Ash and gases can also escape from this vent. When plates push towards each other, the thin plate gets pushed down into the earth, and as the lighter plate is pushed down, magma is formed and occasionally reaches the surface, where a new volcano is now formed. A large amount of the volcanoes are formed where land plates and oceanic plates meet.
Volcanoes erupt when earth's rock becomes hot enough to melt, which is not as heavy as solid rock. Since it is lighter, it is caused to rise where it makes its journey up the vent to the earth's surface. A violent eruption is only caused when the magma contains water and gases, which it very commonly can. When it comes to the surface the water and gases will expand rapidly causing a large eruption, spewing magma, water ash and varying gases.
When a volcano erupts and there is a city nearby, even a small eruption can do damage. Magma can destroy a city in a short time, and ash can cover a city completely, wrecking everything. Death is something that can occur from an eruption, mainly because of toxic gases filling the air, and fumes overwhelming the city. Common gases that come out of a volcanic eruption are water vapour, carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide, and these can be deadly.
Here is a short video to show an eruption of a volcano;
This find this video relevant to this post, because it is about a volcano erupting. Since this is about volcanoes, I found it interesting, and also educational. I found this video on www.youtube.com.
I hope you enjoyed my blog, keep posted and there will be more.
Steph
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)