VOLCANOES

Grade 9, Module 3 Lesson 1.

(Teachers Guide for
Discussion)

Author:
MA. RACHEL B. ESPINO
Teacher I, Science
Buhatan NHS, Sorsogon City
What is a volcano?
A volcano is a mountain where lava (hot, liquid
rock) comes from a magma chamber under the
ground. A volcano usually has a summit, a slope
and base.
Most volcanoes have a volcanic crater at the top.
When they are active, materials pour out of it.
This includes lava, steam, gaseous compounds
of sulphur, ash and broken rock pieces.
Volcanoes erupt when magma and pressure
come together, and the pressure blows off the
top of the solid rock, and the magma pours out.
Types of Volcanoes: SHIELD
VOLCANOES
Shield volcanoes are built out of layers of lava from
continual eruptions (without explosions). Because the
lava is so fluid, it spreads out, often over a wide area.
Shield volcanoes do not grow to a great height, and the
layers of lava spread out to give the volcano gently
sloping sides. Shield volcanoes can produce huge areas
of basalt, which is usually what lava is when cooled.
Even though their sides are not very steep, shield
volcanoes can be huge. Mauna Kea in Hawaii is the
biggest mountain on Earth. If it is measured from its
base on the floor of the sea, Mauna Kea is even taller
than Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on land.
MT. MAUNA KEA, HAWAII
Types of Volcanoes:
STRATOVOLCANOES
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite
volcano, is a tall, conical volcano. It is built up of
many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and
volcanic ash.
Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes have a steep
profile and periodic eruptions. The lava that flows
from stratovolcanoes cools and hardens before
spreading far. It is sticky, that is, it has high viscosity.
The magma forming this lava is often felsic, with
high-to-intermediate levels of silica, and less mafic
magma. Big felsic lava flows are uncommon, but have
travelled as far as 15km (9.3mi).
MT. FUJI, JAPAN
Types of Volcanoes: CALDERA

A caldera is what is left when a huge

stratovolcano blows its top off. It
leaves a crater where the top of the
volcano was before. Krakatoa, best
known for its catastrophic eruption in
1883, is much smaller now.
MT. KRAKATOA, HAWAII
How are volcanoes formed?
There are two main processes.
Volcanoes are made when two tectonic plates come
together. When these two plates meet, one of them
(usually the oceanic plate) goes under the continental
plate. This is the process of subduction. Afterwards, it
melts and makes magma (inside the magma chamber),
and the pressure builds up until the magma bursts
through the Earth's crust.
The second way is when a tectonic plate moves over a
hot spot in the Earth's crust. The hot spot works its way
through the crust until it breaks through. The caldera of
Yellowstone Park was formed in that way; so were the
Hawaiian Islands.
FORMATION OF VOLCANOES
http://youtu.be/6Z4as_imJfM
Classification of Volcanoes
A traditional way to classify or identify
volcanoes is by its pattern of
eruptions. Those volcanoes which may
erupt again at any time are called
active. Those that are now quiet called
dormant (inactive). Those volcanos
which have not erupted in historical
times are called extinct.
 ACTIVE VOLCANOES
An active volcano is currently
erupting, or it has erupted in the last
10,000 years. An example of an
active volcano is Mount St. Helens in
the United States (US).
 DORMANT VOLCANOES
A dormant volcano is "sleeping," but
it could awaken in the future. Mount
Rainier in the United States is
considered dormant
 EXTINCT VOLCANOES
An extinct volcano has not erupted in
the past 10,000 years. Edinburgh
Castle in Scotland is located atop an
extinct volcano.
What determines the nature of
eruption?
There are many primary factors
affecting the volcanoes eruptive
style, namely: the magmas
temperature, its chemical
composition, the amount of
dissolved gases it contains. These
factors can affect the magmas
viscosity in different way.
 VISCOSITY
VISCOSITY is the property of the
materials resistance to flow. It is also
described as the liquids thickness
and stickiness. The more viscous and
thicker the material is, the greater is
its resistance to flow.
 Effect of Magmas Temperature to
Viscosity
The viscosity of the magma
decreases with temperature. The
higher the temperature of magma is,
the lower is its viscosity. As lava
flows, it cools and begins to harden,
its ability to flow decreases and
eventually stops.
 Effect of Magmas Composition to
Viscosity
Magmas with high silica content are
more viscous than those with low
silica content . The magma that
contains less silica is relatively fluid
and travels far before solidifying.
 Effect of the Amount of Gases
Contained in Magma to Viscosity
Gas (mainly water vapor) dissolved
in magma tends to increase its ability
to flow. Therefore, in near-surface
environments, the loss of gases
makes magma more viscous a dome
or a columnar.
Lava with low amount
of gas as it rises has
high viscosity that
piles up at a vent
resulting into a dome.

Lava with less silica

content is too viscous
to travel far, and
tends to break up as
it flows
Lava with less silica
content has less silica
content has low
viscosity that it can
travel a great
distance, fow=rming
a thin sheet
 Volcanic Eruption
Eruption of Mayon Volcano last 2006
in Albay, Philippines
http://youtu.be/MEI1BTjxmok
Eruption of Mt. Kilauea in Hawaii,
USA
http://youtu.be/488BkTUsMa4
 Types of Volcanic Eruption
PHREARIC OR
HYDROTHERMAL
- is a stream-driven
eruption, as the hot rocks
come in contact with
water. It is short lived
characterized by ash
columns but may be an
onset for a larger
eruption. Example is Taal
volcano eruption in
Batangas (as shown on
the right)
 Types of Volcanic Eruption
PHREATOMAGMATIC
- is a violent eruption due
to the contact between
water and magma. As a
result, a large column of
very fine ash, high speed
and side-way emission of
phyroclatics called based
surges are observed.
Example is the eruption
of Mt. Fukutoku-Okanoba
in Bonin Islands, Japan
 Types of Volcanic Eruption
STROMBOLIAN
- a periodic weak
to violent eruption
characterized by
fountain lava.
Example is Mt.
Irazu Eruption in
Costa Rica
 Types of Volcanic Eruption
VULCANIAN
- characterized by
tall eruption
coulmns that reach
up to 20 km high
with pyroclastic
flow and ash fall
tephra. Example is
Mt. Paricutin in
Mexico.
 Types of Volcanic Eruption
PLINIAN
- excessively
explosive type of
eruption of gas and
pyroclastics.
Example is Mt.
Pinatubo in
Zambales.
Examples of Volcanoes
found in the Philippines
MT. MAYON,
BABUYAN CLARO, BABUYAN ISLA
MT. TAAL, BATANGAS
MT. BULUSAN, SORSOGON
MT. APO, DAVAO
MT. BANAHAW, QUEZON
MT. HIBOK-HIBOK, CAMIGUIN
MT. PINATUBO, ZAMBALES
 Suggested Videos
Naked Science: Volcanoes (it provides
discussion about the formation of new
volcanoes in Yellowstone National Park,
USA)
http://youtu.be/G1pa6afh8o4
BBC: Iceland Volcanoes Erupts (it shows
eruption of Iceland volcanoes, its effects
and how people in Iceland adapts and
survive along the volcanic areas)
http://youtu.be/MlH7pCK4H-s