3 types of volcano:

Shield volcano

Broad, slightly domed shaped

Low viscosity; Mafic; Low gas content

Generally cover large areas

Low profile, slopes 2-10

Produced by mild eruptions of

large volumes of basaltic lava

Large & long-lived

Typically non-violent eruptions

Example = Mauna Loa on

Hawaii

Cinder cone

Made up of loose fragments

(pyroclasts) ejected by firefountaining, because of gas content,
from a central vent:

Built from ejected lava (mainly

cinder-sized) fragments

Steep slope angle

Small size

Very fine ah, blocks angular solid

material, cinders, bombs- molten
material rounded during trave

Frequently occur in groups

Short life span(gas exhausted)

Small volcanoes with slopes ~30.

Seldom >500 meters high.

Composite cone (stratovolcano)

Most are located adjacent to the
Pacific Ocean (e.g., Fujiyama, Mt. St.
Helens)
Large, classic-shaped volcano (1000s
of ft. high and several miles wide at
base)
Composed of interbedded lava flows
and pyroclastic debris
Most violent type of activity (e.g., Mt.
Vesuvius)

Violent- due to gas content of the

magma. Can form any magma
composition

Intermediate slope angle, very large,

sometimes >1,000 meters.
Alternating layers of lava and
pyroclasts
Lava layers inhibit weathering and
erosion
Magma composition = intermediate,
with a variable gas content (lava +
pyroclasts).
Very long-lived.

Difference between magma and

lava
Magma

Molten rock

carbon dioxide

Almost always a silicate

solution

sulphur dioxide

nitrogen oxides

noble gases (helium,

argon)

Forms from partial melting of

rocks inside Earth

Temperature ranges from 550

to >1250 C

Lava

All igneous rocks once were

magma

Magma that reaches the surface is

called lava

Mixture of all the elements

that make up minerals

Lava: Hot (up to 1200 degrees C),

fluid, molten rock that flows along
the land surface.

Can contain dissolved gases

water vapor

Lava can flow like viscous water,

including forming lava fall

Lava flow
Pahoehoe- (puh-hoy-hoy) Mafic lava
cools rapidly and the surface of the
flow forms a crust. Slowly it gets
deformed and wrinkles form
Aa (ah-ah) When mafic lava forms
jagged edges due to cooling rapidly
and deformation of lavas crust.
Pillow Flow-Fissures on the ocean
floor form blobs due to rapid
cooling

Melting rocks
Partial melting- process whereby
some minerals melt at lower temps,
while other minerals remain solid
(slushy mix)
Factional crystallization- Different
minerals crystallize at different
temperatures. As liquid rock cools
certain minerals crystallize before
others.

Products of eruption
Lava Flows

Gases

Pyroclastic Debris

Steam

Bombs

Carbon Dioxide

Lapilli

H2S

Ash

SO2

Mudflows

HCl

Landslides

HF

Materials extruded from the

volcano
Pyroclastic
fragments

materialsFire

dustFine,

Volcanic hazards
Lava flow

Types of pyroclastic debris

Ash
and
fragments

Where Does Magma Come From?

glassy

PumicePorous rock from frothy

lava
CindersPea-sized material
LapilliWalnut-sized material
Particles larger than lapilli

Lava tube
Ash fall/ ash flow
Pyroclastic flows
Glowing cloud
Lahar
Landslides

BlocksHardened or cooled
lava
BombsEjected as hot lava

Earths interior is hot (25 C/km

near surface = 1000 C at 40
km)

Pressure inhibits melting

Mantle is solid

Never far below melting

point

Volcanoes fed by small

pockets 0-100 km deep

Viscosity of Lavas

Less Viscous/Fluid- Mafic

Fe and Mg Rich

Dark Colored

Lack Silica

More Viscous/Thick Felsic

Silica Rich

Intermediate

Light Colored

What is mineral?
A mineral is a naturally occurring,
usually inorganic solid that has a
characteristic chemical composition,
an orderly internal structure, and a
characteristic set of physical
properties.
made up of atoms of a single
element, or of compounds. A
compound consists of atoms of two
or more elements chemically bonded
together.

Partial melting
minerals that have lower
melting points are the first
minerals to melt.

Rising hot material may

melt

Water can lower melting

point

Lack of Mg and Fe

Viscosity: a liquids
resistance to flow.

Honey: High viscosity

Corn Oil: Medium viscosity
Water: Low viscosity

The more silica that is

present in magma, the
greater the viscosity
of the magma.

An ore mineral is a mineral that

contains one or more elements of
economic value.

What is an orebody?
An occurrence of minerals or metals
in sufficiently high concentration to
be profitable to mine and process
using current technology and under
current economic conditions.

As the temperature increases

and as other minerals melt,
the magmas composition
changes.

Fractional Crystallization
When magma cools, the
cooling process is the reverse
of the process of partial
melting.

Chemicals in magma combine

to form minerals, and each
mineral has a different
freezing point. Minerals that
have the highest freezing
points crystallize first

Magmatic differentiation

Magma Mixing: Magmas of

different compositions are
mixed together
Crystal Settling: crystallized
minerals have a density
greater than the magma and
settle to the bottom due to
gravity

Difference between ore and

gangue
Ore the valuable material
extracted Comprises the Ore mineral
and the Gangue
Gangue the unwanted part of the
ore, comprises minerals such as
calcite, quartz and iron pyrite

Assimilation: magma reacts

with the country rock which
is adjacent to the magma
chamber

Hydrothermal Process
Precipitation of metallic ions
from hot, ion-rich fluid
Fluid could be

cools and precipitates

(deposits) the metals

3 layers of earth

Magmatic

Core, Mantle, Crust

Groundwater

Magma can be found in the mantle

Oceanic water

Magmas heat up the water

Water flows into fractures,
faults, joints, etc. where it

Sedimentary Process

Chemical Precipitates

Clastic

Weathering of rock also

weathers out elements
of interest
Generally, the elements
are heavy and are
deposited when a
streams competence is
low.

Water with high

concentrations of
elements is evaporated

Evaporation of water
leaves the elements

Ex. Salts, Iron, etc.

Placer deposits, i.e. gold

Earthquake

Used to describe both sudden slip on a fault, and the resulting ground
shaking and radiated seismic energy caused by the slip

Caused by volcanic or magmatic activity,

Caused by other sudden stress changes in the earth.

Where do most earthquakes occur?

~80% of all earthquakes occur in the circum-Pacific belt

most of these result from convergent margin activity

~15% occur in the Mediterranean-Asiatic belt

remaining 5% occur in the interiors of plates and on spreading ridge

centers

more than 150,000 quakes strong enough to be felt are recorded

each year

What causes the earthquake?

Tectonic plates move past each other causing stress. Stress causes the
rock to deform

Plastic deformation does not cause earthquakes

Elastic deformation rock stretches then reaches a breaking point,

releasing energy.

Earthquakes can be generated by bomb blasts, volcanic eruptions,

and sudden slippage along faults.

Most natural earthquakes are caused by sudden slippage along a

fault zone.