Study of Volcano Details Vocabulary

A mass of very hot gasses and rock fragments called a pyroclastic flow rushes down the sides of the volcano at speeds of more than 60 mph. everything in its path is scorched. Parts of nearby towns and surrounding farmland may be destroyed. Even small pyroclastic flows can be incredibly destructive.

The eruption releases a great plume of ash that reaches 12 to 16 miles above sea level. For the next several days the ash will spread around the Earth, failing over thousands of square miles.

The eruption releases clouds of ash. Town downwind of the eruption may be thick of ash and pumice.

The eruption releases triggers a massive landslide of rock and soil that races down the side of the volcano, covering surrounding areas with 100 cubic meters to more than 130000 cubic yards of debris.

Lava flows down the sides of the volcano and may cover nearby roads. These flows may cover nearby towns.

The eruption sends out tephira and tosses solidified magma bombs out of the vent. Areas near the volcano may be hit by a few of these magma bombs.

Generally, the settings you have chosen favor the formation of the cinder cone volcano, which is relatively small with steep sides and a cynical shape. Italy’s Stromboli and Mexico’s Paricutin are two of the most famous cinder cone volcanoes.

Generally, the settings you have chosen favor the formation of a shield volcano. These massive volcanoes can reach tens of thousands of feet above the sea level. The volcanoes that make up the Hawaiian islands, such as Mauna and Lao, are the most famous shield volcanoes.

Some lava may flow through channels of hardened lava called lava tubes, which can transport the lava tens of miles away from the volcanic center.

You have generated a plinian eruption, the most explosive type of release. The force of the eruption blows away a large portion of the volcano’s top, sending clouds of ash high into the stratosphere and generation an explosion that might be heard hundreds of miles of miles away.