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All the volcano facts and info you need.

Need help with your volcano project? The Volcanic Photo Glossary has 95 volcanic terms, all illustrated .
All the types of volcano and volcanic eruption. Plus a famous volcanic eruption case study section, including Mt St Helens and Montserrat . In Plate tectonics learn how the movement of plates causes volcanoes.
Volcanic hazards such as pyroclastic flows,lahars and ash clouds and how people manage volcanic hazards.

Volcano image glossary Volcanoes FAQ with Dr.Lava. Got a question about volcanoes? Dr.Lava might just have the answer

Top 20 volcano questions answered Full List here

What is a volcano?

Mt Rainier lies within easy reach of Seattle. It is a stratovolcano.A volcano is an opening in the earths crust, known as a vent, through which molten rock, ash and gases are erupted onto the earths surface.Volcanoes can erupt onto land or beneath the sea.
More on Types of volcano

Why do people live near volcanoes

Vesuvius looms over the city of Naples500 million people live near volcanoes. Major cities such as Naples, Mexico City and Seattle are all in the shadow of potentially dangerous eruptions .
Why? More here

Can Volcanoes affect the climate? Can we stop lava flows?
Can we predict volcanic eruptions?

Volcano terms glossary. over 95 volcanic terms and features illustrated.

95 Volcano Terms described, explained and illustrated. Volcano Terms and Picture Glossary.

Pahoehoe

Pahoehoe is a form of basaltic lava flow. The term comes from an Hawaiian word which means smooth or rope like.Pahoe hoe lava is composed of basalt ,is very fluid and has a temperature of 1200C.Pahoehoe lava in Hawaii

Aa aa
Hot Spot
Pyroclastic flow
Volcanic Bomb
More in the Volcano Glossary
All clearly explained and illustrated.


Volcano Facts. Biggest volcanic eruption,tallest volcano,lmost active volcano. All the top volcano facts

Volcano facts and figures. Top tens of Volcanoes
More here

How many volcanoes are there in the world?

How many volcanoes do we know about and how many are erupting at the minute. Find out here

The largest volcanic eruptions

The largest eruption in recorded history is of Tambora in 1815.The largest pre hstory we know of is
More largest eruptions: recorded history / prehistory

Tambora. The largest eruption in recorded history 1815

Which is the tallest volcano?

Mauna Kea or Ojos del Salado.
Find out here

What is the most active volcano?

Kilauea or Stromboli?
Find out here

The most dangerous volcano?Yellowstone Geysers within the Yellowstone Supervolcano

Vesuvius,Merapi,Yellowstone?
Find out here.


Volcanic eruption Casestudies Mt ST Helens,Merapi,Montserrat, Kilauea,Iceland Ashcloud

Montserrats Soufriere Hills  volcanic eruptions produced ash,pyroclastic flows and lahars devastated the southern half of Montserrat.

Merapi The the standard view of a volcano is a perfect cone erupting ash from a summit crater with rivers of lava flowing down the slopes.In reality there are a variety of volcano types.Steep sided cones are characteristic of stratovolcanoes,Shield volcanoes have gentle slopes formed by basaltic lava flows.Magma and lava type is the main factor in causing the shape and eruptive style of a volcano.More on Types of Volcano

Shield volcano Stratovolcano Cinder Cone Lava Dome Supervolcano/ Caldera eruption Rift / Fissure eruption

 

Types of volcanic eruption

Types of volcanic eruption StrombolianVolcanoes erupt in different styles from flowing rivers of lava in Hawaii to dramatic and violent explosions on Montserrat. So how do volcanoes erupt? and Why can the eruptions be so different? Volcanoes have different eruption styles caused by magma type and explosivity.
More on Types of Volcanic Eruption

Hawaiian Strombolian Surtseyan Pelean Vulcanian Plinian-Ultraplinian
Plate Tectonics. How does the movement of the earths crust create volcanoes nad earthquakes. Plate boundaries and mantle convection explained and illustrated.

What is Plate Tectonics?

Plate Tectonics explains how the earths crust is split into large rigid slabs of rock called tectonic plates. The slabs are the cooled outer layer of the earth and beneath them the lies the mantle, a very hot layer of rock on which the plates float.

Cross section through the earths crust and mantle, showing the main processes of Plate Tectonics.USGS

There are two types of plate Oceanic and Continental. The plates move over the mantle and at where they meet volcanoes and earthquakes are likely to occur. Subduction occurs where a oceanic plate sinks beneath another plate, this can produce spectacular and dangerous volcanic eruptions.

More here on Plate Tectonics


Volcanic Rock Types. What are the different volcanic rock types? What is lava made from? Volcanic and Igneous rocks,chemistry and origin explained.

Volcanic Rocks. Giants Causeway columnar basalt flow.Volcanic rocks are the eruptive equivalent of magma from within the volcano.When the magma is erupted onto the earths crust they then become extrusive or volcanic. The composition of the rocks above and below the surface is the same but mode of eruption and speed of cooling creates different a classification or rock type. The chemicals composition of the magma will determine whether the eruption is explosive or effusive.

Volcanic rocks are often formed in spectacular ways. Lava flows,pyroclastic flows,volcanic bombs and ash all form volcanic rocks. Rhyolite, Andesite and Basalt are types of lava.

But what are volcanic rocks made of? What makes lava flow or volcanoes explode? Find out about Volcanic Rock Types

Volcanic Hazards include pyroclastic flows,lahars,lava flows,tsunami,ash clouds and earthquakes and can be dramatic,deadly and rapid.
Volcanic Hazards. Mount Pinatubo eruption Phillipines

Lava Flows
Lahars
Ash clouds
pyroclastic flows

Volcanic monitoring/prediction
Volcanic hazard management

Volcanoes cannot be prevented from erupting so ways must be found to lessen the risk and impact of the hazard. Lava flows are dramatic but rarely endanger life alternatively pyroclastic flows and lahars can devastating to local populations.

More on Volcanic Hazards