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Volcano Vocab
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Volcano | An opening in the Earth’s crust that transports material from INSIDE the Earth to the OUTSIDE of the Earth |
Viscosity | a liquid’s resistance to flow |
Ring of Fire | The zone of earthquakes and volcanoes surrounding the Pacific Ocean |
Tsunami | Large ocean wave created by undersea earthquakes or volcanic eruptions |
Pyroclastic Flow | When large amounts of trapped gas, volcanic ash, and rock explodes out creating an avalanche of destruction |
Lahar | A mudslide made of pyroclastic material (volcanic ash, debris, and melted snow) that destroys everything in its path |
Lava | Molten rock that erupts from volcanoes |
Magma | Molten rock that is found beneath the earth's surface |
Shield | Form when low viscosity lava oozes out and cools in layers. Creates broad/ gradually sloping volcanoes |
Composite | Form when layers of high viscosity lava and ash spill out and cool on top of each other. Creates steep sloping volcanoes |
Caldera | Form when a volcano has such a violent eruption that the magma chamber empties and collapses on itself |
Extinct | A Volcano that will not erupt again |
Dormant | A volcano that has not erupted recently, but may do so in the future |
Active | A volcano that is erupting or has erupted recently |
Mt. St. Helens | in 1980, this Washington State mountain gave North America its largest volcanic eruption |
Cone | Mountains formed from the build up of volcanic lava often take this shape |
Fissure | An opening or crack in the Earth's surface through which lava flows |
Krakatoa | 1883 volcanic eruption in southeast Asia that killed 36,000 people |
Colombia | The eruption of Nevado del Ruiz with its devastating mud slides occurred in this South American nation in 1985 |
Magma Chamber | A large pool of liquid rock beneath the surface of the Earth. |
Secondary Vent | Smaller openings in a volcano from which magma erupts |
Pyroclastic Debris | A dense, fast-moving flow of solidified lava pieces, volcanic ash, and hot gases |
Main Vent | The channel through which magma travels to reach the Earth's surface |
Crater | A bowl-shaped feature containing one or more vents in a volcano |