Chapter 8 Section 2

Types of Volcanoes
Key Concept: Tectonic plate
motions can result in volcanic
activity at plate boundaries.
Volcanoes
How do volcanoes work?
Heat and pressure cause rocks to melt and form magma.
Magma needs to get out, too much pressure!!!!!!
Rise in temperature or drop in pressure causes magma to form
faster.
How do volcanoes work?
Magma is forced onto
Earths surface.
It dries and hardens,
this happens many
times over thousands
of years.
Eventually a mountain
called a volcano is
formed.
Parts of a Volcano
Most volcanoes share a
specific set of features.

The magma that feeds the
eruptions pools deep
underground in a structure
called a magma chamber.

At Earths surface, lava is
released through openings
called vents.
Flowing lava in the interior
travels through long, pipelike
structures known as lava
tubes.



Where do most volcanoes occur?
Volcanoes occur at
both divergent and
convergent
boundaries and also
at hot spots.
Why do we have different types of
Volcanoes?
The process of magma formation is
different at each type of plate boundary.

Therefore, the composition of magma
differs in each tectonic setting.

Tectonic settings determine the types of
volcanoes that form and the types of
eruptions that take place.

Volcanoes at Divergent Boundaries
At a divergent boundary, the lithosphere becomes
thinner as two plates pull away from each other.

A set of deep cracks form in an area called a rift zone.

Hot mantle rock rises to fill these cracks.
As the rock rises, a decrease in pressure causes hot
mantle rock to melt and form magma.

The magma that reaches Earths surface is called lava.

Basaltic magma rises to Earths surface through these
fissures and erupts nonexplosively

Types of volcanoes

Types of volcanoes
Shield volcano: usually form at hot spots,
from non explosive eruptions
Cinder cone volcano: form from explosive
eruptions, very steep.
Composite volcano: form from both
explosive and non explosive eruptions.

Shield volcano
Form from many layers of runny lava.
Very wide, not to steep.
Biggest type of volcanoes
Tallest mountain in the world is Mauna Kea
(measures from sea floor to top)
non explosive eruptions
Mauna Kea, Hawaii

Cinder cone volcano
Smallest type of volcano
Most common
Made from pyroclastic material (material
shot out of a volcano)
Form a large crater
Explosive!






Paricutin, Mexico

Composite volcano:
Eruptions alternate between explosive and
non-explosive.
Sometimes they have runny lava layers,
other times the have pyroclastic materials
form layers.
Have a wide base and steep sides.
Have a crater
Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji

2 Types of eruptions
Explosive: volcanoes
that build enough
pressure to blow its
top, sending
pyroclastic material
into the air.

Non explosive: Build
only enough pressure
to allow lava to run
down its sides.

Non explosive eruption
Mafic: refers to rocks and magma rich in
iron and magnesium.
This type of lava that is very runny.
As magma nears the surface there is little
pressure, causing gasses escape easily.
Magma low in Silica have quiet eruptions

Explosive eruptions
Felsic: means magma with high silica and
feldspar content.
Felsic magma traps water and gas
bubbles, which leads to lots of pressure.
Silica acts like a cork
Explosive eruptions are caused by a build
up of high pressure.
Convergent zones contain lots of water,
therefore have explosive eruptions.
Pyroclastic materials
Material that is thrown into the air during
an explosion.
Volcanic bombs: large blobs of magma
that harden in the air.
Lapilli: pebble size rocks
Volcanic ash: tiny powder like material

Four types of lava
Aa: lava that is thick and sharp
Pahoehoe: lava that forms thin crust and
wrinkles
Pillow lava: lava that erupts under water,
has a round shape
Blocky lava: cooler, lava that does not
travel far from eruption, jagged when it
dries.
Aa
lava that is thick and sharp
Pahoehoe:
lava that forms thin
crust and wrinkles

Pillow lava
lava that erupts under
water, has a round
shape
Blocky lava
cooler, lava that does
not travel far from
eruption, jagged when
it dries.