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Geo Notes

The document provides an overview of volcanoes, including their definitions (dormant, active, extinct), types, and the factors that influence their shape and size. It discusses both the positive effects, such as fertile soil and geothermal energy, and negative effects, including destruction from eruptions and lahars. Additionally, it details various volcanic features, both intrusive and extrusive, and includes specific examples from the Caribbean.

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luvliimocha
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2 views

Geo Notes

The document provides an overview of volcanoes, including their definitions (dormant, active, extinct), types, and the factors that influence their shape and size. It discusses both the positive effects, such as fertile soil and geothermal energy, and negative effects, including destruction from eruptions and lahars. Additionally, it details various volcanic features, both intrusive and extrusive, and includes specific examples from the Caribbean.

Uploaded by

luvliimocha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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A volcano is an opening on the surface of a planet that allows material warmer than its

surroundings to escape from its interior and reach the surface.

Dormant - A dormant volcano is an active volcano that is not erupting, but supposed to erupt
again.
Active - An active volcano is a volcano that has had at least one eruption during the past 10
years.
Extinct - Extinct volcano to refer to volcanoes that have become cut off from their magma
supply.

● Labeled Volcano
● Shape Of A Volcano

The shape and size of a volcano are controlled by several factors. These include:

- The volume of volcanic products


- The interval length between eruptions
- The composition of volcanic products
- The geometry of the vent
- The environment into which the volcanic products are erupted
- Pace of the Lava

● Basic and Acidic Lava


Lava is magma that reaches the earth's surface and is called lava. It may be acidic or basic.
Basic lava is non-viscous, is darker in color and has lower silica content.
Acidic lava is viscous, is lighter in color and has higher silica content.
● Positive Effects of Volcanoes
- Volcanic or igneous rocks are valuable for their minerals, for example, nickel, copper
and gold in the Pakaraima region in Guyana.
- Weathered lava produces good farming soil. Rich volcanic soils also support dense
populations
- Hot springs are used as a source of energy for domestic use. Some spas or hot springs
are used for health purposes,
- Geothermal electrical energy in Iceland is produced from hot springs and steam.
- Volcanic features are major tourist attractions

● Negative Effects of Volcanoes


- Many lives can be lost as a result of a volcanic eruption.

- If the ash and mud from a volcanic eruption mix with rain water or melting snow, fast
moving mudflows are created. These flows are called lahars.

- Lava flows and lahars can destroy settlements and clear areas of woodland or
agriculture.

- Human and natural landscapes can be destroyed and changed forever.

● Types of Volcanoes
● Volcanoes in the Caribbean
Mount Scenery Saba
Mount Liamuiga St. Kitts
Nevis Peak Nevis
Soufrière Hills, Chances Peak Montserrat
Boiling Lake, Diablotins Dominica
Mount Pelee Martinique
Sulfur Springs St. Lucia
Kick ‘em Jenny, St. Catherine Grenada
Digity Trinidad
Hooiberg Aruba
Soufrière St. Vincent
● Intrusive Volcanic Features
Intrusive Volcanic Features: How they change over time
(i) Batholith
(ii) Laccolith
(iii) Sill
(iv) Dyke

- When land weather erodes batholith become exposed to form steep sided mountains or hills
- When land weather and eroded laccolith become exposed to form conical hills
- Sills when exposed can for escarpments, waterfalls, ridges and springs
- Dykes can form ridges, springs, depressions

Sills
- This is a sheet-like feature which runs horizontally, that is parallel to the rock strata. It
is formed by magma flowing horizontally between two rock layers.. E.g of a sill is the
Great Whin Sill in Northern England.
- Sills change over time. If they become exposed to the surface by erosion they form
scarps and escarpments.
Dykes
- This is a vertical sheet of igneous rock. It is formed by magma moving directly upwards
towards the surface and then cools. It cuts across the bedding plane.
- Dykes change over time. If they become exposed to the surface by erosion they form
ridges, springs, waterfalls.
- If they are easily eroded they may form depressions.
Batholiths
- These are large dome-shaped reservoirs of cooled magma found deep within the earth's
surface. It is formed when a large underground reservoir of molten rock cools and
hardens below the surface.
- Batholiths change over time. If they become exposed by erosion they form steep-sided
rounded hills. E.g. Canadian shield in Canada.
Laccoliths
- These are small reservoirs of magma located near the surface. They form an
arch-shaped or dome-shaped structure and are connected to the batholith through the
main vent/fissure.
- E.g. of a laccolith is the Pakaraima mountains in Guyana
- Laccoliths change over time. If exposed by erosion they form conical-shaped hills or
mountains.

● Extrusive Volcanic Features


Extrusive volcanic Features How they change over time
(i) ash and cinder cone
(ii) Ash and Lava cone
(iii) Composite Cone/ Strato Volcano
(iv) Shield Volcano
(v) Lava Plateau
(vi) Caldera

- The cones may collapse or the top may be removed in an eruption to form calderas
- The calderas can collect water overtime to form crater lakes
- The sides of the volcanic cone weather and erode over time to expose solidified vents.
- Rivers establish themselves on the top of the mountains to form radial drainage basins,
which eventually dissect the mountain
- Lava plateaus are dissected by rivers to form steep sided valleys and capped topped
mountain.

Ash and Cinder Cones


- They are formed from fragmented particles
such as cinders, ash and dust and lava ejected
from a single vent.
- They are symmetrical in shape.
- They are formed from acidic lava and have a
bowl-shaped crater.
- Example: Mt Misery in Nevis

- Cinder cones: are formed from explosions


within the pipe/vent. They have a wider crater than ash cones. The ejected materials
are deposited in layers.
- Ash cones: have a gentler gradient than cinder cones. Ash cones consist of finer
materials and cinder cones of coarser fragments.

Shield Volcanoes
- These are formed from the accumulation of basic/ basaltic lava.
- Their sides are broad and gentle and their crater wide.
- Example: Mauna Loa-the world's largest volcano.

Composite/ Strata Volcanoes


- These consist of alternate layers of lava flows, ash
and cinder and may rise to over 2,500meters.
- They are steep with symmetrical sides.
- Example: FujiYama in Japan

Caldera
- This is a large, steep sided volcanic crater/basin
shaped depression.
- It is located in the center of the volcano
and is formed by the collapse of a large
area of the volcano.
- It usually has several smaller vents.
- It is formed when viscous lava plugs the
vent so that pressure is built up within
the volcano and this leads to violent
eruption. This causes the crater to be
blown away explosively.
- Example: Soufriere in North St. Vincent.

Volcanic Plug
- This is a steep, semi-circular pinnacle in the
vent or pipe
- It is short-lived as it is subjected to erosion
- Example: Mt. Pelee in Martinique.

Lava
Plateau
- Basic lava sometimes escape through long fissure instead o a central vent
- Or basic lava may cover the hills and valleys of pre-existing landscape, producing a
wide flat plateau
- Example: Deccan Plateau in India.

● Terms to Note
Lahar- If the ash and mud from a volcanic eruption mix with rain water or melting snow, fast
moving mudflows are created.
Pyroclastic Flow- A dense, destructive mass of very hot ash, lava fragments, and gasses
ejected explosively from a volcano and typically flowing at great speed.
Fissure- A long, narrow opening or line of breakage made by cracking or splitting, especially in
rock or earth
Mud Flow- Note that a Lahar is a type of pyroclastic mudflow
Geyser- A hot spring in which water intermittently boils, sending a tall column of water and
steam into the air, formed in areas of high volcanic activity
Fumarole- Openings in the earth's surface that emit steam and volcanic gasses, such as
sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide.

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