Volcano Vocabulary – Flashcards
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volcano
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a mountain having a crater or vent through which lava, rock fragments, hot vapor, and gas are being or have been erupted from the earth's crust
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dormant volcano
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a volcano that has not erupted for a long time, but may erupt again one day
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active volcano
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a volcano that is erupting or has shown signs that it may erupt in the near future
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vent
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the opening through which molten rock and gas leave a volcano
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crater
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a bowl-shaped opening at the top of a volcano
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rift
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deep long cracks where earth's plates seperate
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hot spots
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areas of volcanic activities that result from plumes of hot solid material that have risen from deep inside earths mantle
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explosive eruption
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explosive eruption of hot debris and gases shot out from the volcano; magma is very thick, and clog up a volcano, stopping gases from erupting, leading to a buildup of pressure; often levels of silica and trapped water vapor are very high, causing the viscosity of the magma to increase dramatically
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nonexplosive eruption
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occurs when magma flows easily and gently bubbles out; lava is thin and runny as it oozes out quietly from the vent; this type of magma has a low amount of trapped water vapor and silica, causing a more fluid viscosity and allowing the lava to flow
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shield volcano
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broad volcano with gently sloping sides built by nonexplosive eruptions of basaltic lava that accumulates in layers
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cinder cone volcano
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a steep, cone-shaped hill or small mountain made of volcanic ash, cinders, and bombs piled up around a volcano's opening
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composite volcano
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volcano built by alternating explosive and quiet eruptions that produce layers of tephra and lava; found mostly where Earth's plates come together and one plate sinks below the other
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batholith
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largest intrusive igneous rock body that forms when magma being forced upward toward Earth's crust cools slowly and solidifies underground
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volcanic neck
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solid igneous core of a volcano left behind after the softer cone has been eroded
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caldera
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the large hole at the top of a volcano formed when the roof of a volcano's magma chamber collapses
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silica
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material found in magma that is formed from the elements oxygen and silicon; it is the primary substance of Earth's crust and mantle; causes magma to thicken
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volcano location
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volcanoes form in places that are directly related to the movement of earth's plates
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Ring of Fire
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a major belt of volcanoes that rims the Pacific Ocean
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island arc
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A string of islands formed by the volcanoes along a deep-ocean trench
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hot spring
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A pool formed by groundwater that has risen to the surface after being heated by a nearby body of magma.
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pyroclastic material
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the volcanic rock ejected during an eruption, including ash, bombs, and blocks
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volcanic blocks
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largest pyroclastic materials that are formed from solid rock and is blasted from the vent
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lapilli
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pebble-like bits of magma that harden before they hit the ground; means "little stones" in Italian
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volcanic ash
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forms when gases in stiff magma expand rapidly and the walls of the gas bubbles explode into tiny, glass like slivers
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lava
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magma that reaches Earth's surface
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blocky lava
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cool, stiff lava that does not travel far from the erupting vent; usually oozes from a volcano and forms jumbled heaps of sharp-edged chunks
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volcanic bombs
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large blobs of magma that harden in the air
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fissure
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crack in the Earth's crust
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magma chamber
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the pocket beneath a volcano where magma collects that feeds the volcano
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magma plumes
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columns of rising magma under hot spots
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extinct volcano
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a volcano that has not erupted for thousands of years and probably will not erupt again.
