Volcano Facts
A large part of volcano facts that we’ve learned is through the media. Movies, news and books have given us immense knowledge on volcanoes. We’ve often seen how this wonder of nature can be the source of volcanic eruptions making it a natural disaster with immense intensity. It’s essential that we understand what they are, how they are formed, so that we are in a better position to deal with them when they occur.
To put things in a simple perspective, volcanoes are openings in the earth’s crust that allow gases, molten rocks and ashes to expel from below the surface. These natural openings are found where tectonic plates come together or are pulled apart. This is a natural occurrence resulting to different types of volcanic classifications and forms. It is important to know some volcano facts for us to understand what we are dealing with.
Volcanoes appear in these forms: shield volcanoes due to its wide spread shield-like form, lava domes which are found in the center of volcanoes or independent from nearby craters, cinder cones which are results of small eruptions, Strato volcanoes which are tall conical mountains with traces of eruption remnants at its sides, super volcanoes which could produce the most disastrous explosion, submarine volcanoes which are found underwater and the subglacial volcanoes which are underneath the ice.
Volcanoes can then be classified according to activity as active, dormant or extinct. According to scientists, volcanoes that are considered as active are those which are currently erupting or showing signs like earthquakes and gas or lava emissions. On the other hand, dormant volcanoes are those, which do not show visible or physical signs of activity but are capable of eruptions in the future.
The last classification is that of extinct volcanoes. These extinct volcanoes are those that do not have lava supplies anymore and will never erupt in anyway.
There are three types of volcanic eruptions, and they tend to be varied in intensity and destructive capacities.
- The first type of eruption is called the magmatic eruption. Fire fountains to bigger and more destructive fire eruption columns characterize the eruption.
- The next type of eruption is the Phreatomagmatic eruptions. It is different from the first type since this is a reaction between magma and water which usually occurs in submarine areas or subglacial volcanoes.
- Lastly, there are the phreatic eruptions or to put it simply as steam blast eruptions. The blast only expels rock fragments and no magma.
Among all these types of volcanic eruptions, the most common are the magmatic explosions which occur in different parts of the world.
Volcanic eruptions are considered as natural disasters by themselves, but are also the source of other known disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis.
It is best therefore to know how to deal with the disaster and let presence of mind rule over panic. With all these volcano facts in mind, we are then given a new perspective and understanding of what a volcano really is.